The Darkest of the Nights
by Hanachana
Summary: When a new chess piece of Mephisto's appears into True Cross Academy, suspicion stirs among the students and teachers. - Manga canon.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

_Pairings: One sided RinxShiemi, one sided ShimaxIzumo, AmaimonxOC (in some sense). Please don't mind the pairings._

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything borrowed from Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist, only the characters I've created!**

 **Warnings:** **Language, slight violence (in later chapters).**

* * *

 **Ao no Exorcist:**

 **The Darkest of the Nights**

Chapter 1 – Prologue

Rain was pouring down like there was no end, the millions of raindrops drumming the ground and ceilings as one and playing their music without rest. Everything was wet and glistening, reflecting lights and images on the ground and walls that one couldn't even be sure that were real. The small coal tar floating around the air hid from the rain and gathered on a building that, for a reason or another, none of the drops dared to touch.

On top of the tall building was standing someone, a woman dressed in an oversized leather jacket and a layered lace skirt. She blinked her eyes, long eyelashes unharmed by the rain. She looked up to see the darkened sky, nearly black eyes glistening in the glow caused by light reflecting from the rain.

"Eh~~ He's supposed to be here already," the girl complained in a tired manner as she sat down on the dry ceiling of the building that the rain avoided. She threw her legs over the edge, and when she stretched one of them forward, the rain moved out of the way like it was under her control. "I should never trust that clown of a demon~~" she muttered to herself as she took the effort of finding her phone from the pocket of her jacket.

The girl waited for someone to pick up, still sitting on the roof and allowing the wind to play with her soft strands of hair.

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 **This prologue is here just for you to see whether you're interested in reading farther. The actual chapters _will be_ longer.**

 **The ship between Amaimon and the OC isn't actually a ship, well, kinda. It's more like a companionship. So it's a sort of _ship_ I guess.**


	2. Chapt 2 - Silver Is Stronger Than Blood

Chapter 2 – Silver Is Stronger Than Blood

The classroom where Rin Okumura and his classmates had gathered was full of noise, like during any other afternoon. The conversations going on at that particular time were mostly light-hearted, though the themes seemed to be affecting particular people on a very emotional level...

"Ne, ne, will you stop calling me an evil spy already...?! Have I been acting suspiciously since I returned?" Shima, the pink haired pervert insisted in a hurt manner.

The classes were yet to start, since their teacher was running late. Everyone including Rin, who often overslept, was already in the classroom. They weren't too worried about Yukio's absence, since it was normal for an exorcist to be busy during these times.

"If you would've been acting suspiciously, you would be a pretty terrible spy," Izumo pointed out from her seat in the classroom. Her eyes were glued to a demonology book in her hands and her attitude was as uncaring as ever.

"Eyebrows has a point, but I still think we should be a bit nicer to him," Rin argued as he sat on his place at the front row of the classroom.

"I thought you stopped calling me that-?!" Izumo snapped.

"Thank you, at least someone is on my side!" Shima responded in a cheered up manner as he strolled over to Rin's table and gave him a friendly fist bump, ignoring the dark-haired summoner.

"Too bad that the only one willing to side with you is Satan's bastard son," Bon pointed out from his seat, an annoyed look spread across his rough features. Konekomaru let out an awkward chuckle at the point his friend made.

"It's not just Rin who trusts him, it's also me...!" Shiemi exclaimed with her cheeks taking on the color pink as she got embarrased for gathering attention. Rin smiled by himself as he admired the shy blonde with large breasts and bright green eyes.

"Wah~! I'm happy that a pretty girl thinks so highly of me~!" Shima sang in bliss.

"Pervert!" Izumo exclaimed from the side and quickly got up from her seat, slamming her hands against the table. At that exact moment, everyone of the students inside the classroom got startled – not because of Izumo, but because out of the blue, everything started to rumble.

"W-wha-?!" Izumo exclaimed in surprise as she couldn't stay standing and tripped back on her seat. Shima was shaken off Rin and Shiemi's desk and fell to the floor, though he managed to keep his balance.

"An earthquake?!" Bon asked as he took support of the table, checking that the girls were alright from the corner of his eye. He noticed that Takara, who had been quiet on the sidelines this whole time, seemed to have gotten more alert.

"Well it certainly wasn't me who caused this!" Izumo snapped in anger as she struggled to not get crushed by the two tables surrounding her. Shima shakily hopped over to her and pulled her away from her seat, causing her face to redden in embarrasment. "I didn't ask for your help-!" she began, but got cut off as the earthquake got stronger and she accidentally bit her tongue. "AHH!"

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Samael, the Demon King of Time – by his other name _Mephisto Pheles –_ was sitting at his desk in the large, flamboyant office that was only suitable for a principal of such a high class school. He was currently filling out some contracts concerning the staff of the cafeteria. The school was currently recruiting new chefs, though it shouldn't have been the main thing to worry about these days. However, it was a part of his job as a principal to deal with these papers, and he did care for his reputation and so on the reputation of the school.

"Hnn~ I'd rather be playing a game," he mumbled to himself as he put away a thin pile of papers to the side of his desk, leaning against his elbow for a short moment. "I suppose I could give myself a break for now," he chirped as he quickly teleported a portable gaming device to his hand. A puff off pink smoke appeared along with the device, a similar pink that had been embedded to his rather lively clothing.

He hummed quietly as he opened up a save file on the game, starting a level that he had been stuck on for a few days now. He very much enjoyed the culture of Japan, including anime, manga and games. He gladly identified as an _otaku,_ even though the term usually had a negative sound in the Japanese culture.

After a short while of gaming Mephisto paused the game, putting the device on the table. A stinging pain on his skin had forced him to stop for a moment, though a smile was still spread on his features.

"Holding back the gate has really put a strain on this body~~" he spoke to himself as he slightly moved the pink scarf around his neck, quickly eyeing the wounds on his skin that marked the deteriorating of his human host. He was using too much power for the host to stand and willingly caused himself a great deal of discomfort. "This truly is a bother, but I suppose I have no other choice..." he said, this time seemingly a little more displeased. He leaned back in his chair as he quickly retied the scarf, looking out the window of his office with his eyes carrying a sharp stare.

That's when everything started to rumble. Mephisto's eyes widened in surprise when the whole school suddenly started to shake and tremble, causing him to get caught off guard and almost fall back with his chair. He was in time to use his magic to make the both of them float before the impact, but he was still quite stunned.

"Hmm~~ I suppose that must be _him_. I'm surprised he still has so much power," he said, suddenly in an amused tone as he leaned his chin against one of his hands. "My, am I glad that I called a little help this time around~~" he mused to himself in thought.

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Yukio, who was making his way toward the classroom where his students awaited, has been startled by the sudden earthquake happening on True Cross Academy. He was supporting himself against the wall, awaiting for the shaking of the earth to stop. No matter how he looked at it, this quake didn't seem like a normal one. He felt like it was too strong and... Maybe too _localized_ to be a usual one, though he couldn't be sure of the last guess.

He looked up in sudden horror as he heard the walls and roof make threatening sounds of a collapse and was already prepared to rush off the hallway. However, before the building could crumble, the earthquake settled all at once, causing him to feel relieved. If his students were to get stuck under the rubble, if _his brother_ would, he wouldn't know how to react. Speaking of which, he stopped leaning against the wall, taking a few deep breaths in order to compose himself. He then rushed over to the classroom and entered through the large door.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, still holding open the doors and studying everyone with a worried expression.

"W-we're all in one piece," Shiemi informed from the floor as she shakily stood up and took support of her desk. Everyone else seemed slightly shaken as well.

"G-get off me, you pervert!" Izumo exclaimed as he slapped Shima on the cheek, pushing her saviour away and taking a seat on one of the chairs that was still in an upright position.

"Hey, is that all I get after saving you?!"

"What the hell was that, anyway-?!" Bon demanded from the side.

"I'm not sure, but I think I have reason to believe it was caused by demons," Yukio informed, making everyone snap their heads toward him.

"Is... Is there a way we could help with them?!" Rin asked in a confident tone as he clenched his hands into fists and a smile spread across his face. He very much enjoyed the idea of some action. Yukio sighed in annoyance.

"Nii-sa-Okumura-kun, it's still not certain," Yukio said. Normally he wouldn't get confused with calling his brother by his name during class time, but he was still a bit shaken by the occurance. "And even if it was, we don't know what kind of threat this is. For now, why don't you take some of the classes off. I need to speak to sir Pheles."

"Awwh, but Yukio-" Rin began, only to be cut off by a pissed off Bon.

"Listen to what you're told, Okumura. Your brother or not, Okumura-sensei is still our teacher," he growled as composed as he could keep himself around the half-demon.

"I agree with Suguro-kun, Rin... We'd better stay out of it if it doesn't include us," Shiemi agreed. Yukio nodded in approval.

"I will be back before three, so be back at the classroom by then," he informed. The students silently agreed before their teacher left for the principal's office.

* * *

It didn't take long for Yukio to arrive to the office of the infamous principal. He wasn't the only one there, he noted, as a bunch of other teachers had gathered at the office as well. Currently they were loudly discussing the earthquake, waiting for Mephisto to open his office door for them.

And soon enough, he did.

The teachers poured into the large office, including Yukio. Mephisto had stood up from his seat behind his large desk as he strolled around it, sitting on the edge with an untrustable expression.

"Sir Pheles, we have reason to believe that the earthquake wasn't caused by any natural factors," one of the teachers opened. Yukio studied his determined expression before turning his attention back to the principal.

"Oh, do you now~~?" he asked in a sneaky tone of voice. "I understand that you must be panicked by what happened, but I assure you, it's all under control~~" he said, his whole body making large gestures strenghtening his verbal performance.

"So it was indeed caused by demons?" Yukio questioned in a firm tone. Mephisto only smiled.

"Correct! I applaud you for your sharpness~~ I have already sent a team of exorcists to get rid of our troubles. You have no need to concern yourselves with this – you can continue your classes according to the usual schedule," Mephisto assured, bowing like at the end of a performance.

"You are truly not intending to share any more information about such a huge event?" one of the female teachers asked in visible annoyance and worry.

"Like I already told you, I am already taking care of the matter. The rising demon activity would put anyone on their toes, I understand your concern – but the only thing you need to know is that the school will be safe again in a short matter of time," Mephisto spoke, sounding like he accidentally slipped the information of the school being 'unsafe.' That caused the small crowd to stir.

"Sir Pheles! Are you saying that for the time being, the students are unsafe?!"

"Sir Pheles?"

"Sir Pheles!"

The accusations and worry arose with the demon's headache, as he gave the teachers a pained smile. Though it was his intention to cause a little bit of chaos, he was still putting a great strain on himself already. He decided it was for the best to end his meeting with the teachers while he still had his sanity.

"That is all, now please leave – I have a lot of things to do and I can't be concerned with the all of you at the moment," he chirped, snapping his fingers. Everyone was suddenly startled as they were standing _behind_ the doors to Mephisto's office, the doors tightly closed an unbudging.

"That sir Pheles... I can't help but be wary of him," one of the teachers spat as they all slowly dissolved from the doors. Only Yukio was left, staring at the doors in deep thought.

 _I think he's up to something,_ he thought as he quietly strolled away from the office.

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"And that's how it is~~" Mephisto said without turning around to face the other person still inside his office.

"Ma~~ You still know how to put on a show, don't you?" a gentle female voice spoke from the side. It seemed like a woman dressed in black and purple had appeared from nothingness, standing near one of the walls of the demon's office.

"A silver tongue never rusts," he sang as he strolled over to the female dressed in a large coat, a skin tight shirt and a black skirt. Green saw green as their eyes met, both of them allowing a small smile to spread on their lips – one more wary than the other.

"I suppose I should say I'm glad to see you again..." the girl chuckled as she crossed her arms. "But I'd rather get straight to the point of our meeting."

"Ahh, of course~~ Business before pleasure," Mephisto agreed as his arms extended on both sides of his body. "Please, right this way."

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As the earthquake had allowed the students of True Cross a moment of freedom before their classes would start, had the exorcism class the son of Satan belonged to decided to settle on the grass outside the school. They were sitting, or in Bon and Izumo's case, standing and chatting about what had lead them to this moment.

"I really would've wanted to go with Yukio," Rin complained as he had taken the sword, also known as Kurikara, off his back, swinging the thing inside red packaging around in surprisigly well controlled motions. It seemed like his sword training was paying off.

"You'd be better focusing on your studies. You know how dangerously close our exorcist exams are now that we're in huge need of exorcists," Izumo pointed out in an annoyed manner as she went through some of her notes from class.

"Yeah, yeah~~ I'll get to that," Rin said in a tone that was anything but serious, causing Bon to feel slightly ticked off, though he didn't say anything. He was used to Rin's lazy attitude by now.

"Rin, I don't want you to get killed by the council," Shiemi said, announcing her worry.

"Neither do I, but like I said – I'll get to it," Rin assured as he stopped swinging his sword, throwing it back over his shoulder.

"I hope they get the matter solved... With the increase in demon activity we're in greater danger than we've ever been before," Konekomaru pointed out in a composed manner. "If True Cross Academy was invaded by demons, would it be a huge blow to the human race."

"Would the principal really let it get to that point?" Shima asked in an uninterest manner, laying down on his back and eyeing a group of girls farther away from them.

"I don't know if I can trust that demon," Bon growled in an agitated manner. "He is our principal, but how can we ever be sure that he's not just playing us? After all, he did once let _Amaimon_ attack Okumura."

"You're correct, Bon, but second guessing the principal during these times isn't a good idea. We need someone to rely on," Konekomaru said. He was the most objective one of the group and pointed as their leader, so like he seemed to lay his trust on Mephisto, they lied theirs on him.

"I suppose you're right, like you are most of the time..." Bon admitted as he patted the smaller boy on the back, causing his glasses to jump up from his nose.

"Ugh!" he yelped, causing the others to let out a short laugh.

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Mephisto snapped his fingers and everything went dark. The female that was inside his office still had her arms cross as she eyed around the darkness surrounding the two – their minds had been transferred to Gehenna. She gave an indifferent expression as Mephisto – surprisingly silenty – led the girl through the darkness until they were met with a pair of tall, wooden doors.

"Inside there?" she casually asked, allowing her arms to rest at the sides of her body. Mephisto flashed her a smile before opening the door and stepping out of her way.

"Ladies first~~" he insisted in a rather charming manner. The girl smiled in an expression that showed disbelief before entering. "A thank you would be the politest answer," Mephisto said as he entered after her.

"Why, _thank you_ ," she said, her voice containing a large amount of sarcasm. Then she turned away from the very tall demon, facing toward something that he had been eager to show.

"You are welcome~~" the King of Time replied as he faced in the same direction as the girl. His expression didn't change as he gazed upon the impaled form of the Demon King of Earth, his younger brother. "Why hello, Amaimon. It's been a while since I last visited you~~" he spoke in a cheery manner, as if greeting a relative he hadn't heard of in a while.

"Bite me," the younger demon growled in suppressed anger as he couldn't move because of the multiple clock hands going through his host body.

"My, my~~ What an unpleasant attitude, especially in front of a guest," Mephisto cooed as he presented the girl standing next to him. Amaimon uncaringly studied the female before turning back to his brother.

"It's nice to meet you, I suppose," the girl smirked a little unsurely as she studied the work Mephisto had done on the green haired boy.

"Shall we start, then?" Mephisto chirped.

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 **I intend to get better at writing, so reviews would be great~**


	3. Chapter 3 - Hearts Torn Apart

Chapter 3 – Hearts Torn Apart

It was an ordinary day in Rin Okumura's life.

The cram school classes were over and the cram school students we're currently all leaving for their dormitories. Rin, who had just awoken after the class ended, noticed from the corner of his bright blue eyes how Shiemi was exiting through the classroom door.

 _Awh, crap!_ he mentally exclaimed, as if he suddenly remembered something important. He rushed to his feet and tried to chase after the blonde, only to run into something.

"GAHH!" Bon yelled as the two boys both hit the floor simultaneously, trying to understand what had just happened. "Watch were you're going!" the grumpy teenager complained.

"What?! You're the one who appeared out of nothingness!" Rin shouted as a response. "Wah! I have to go!" he continued as he remembered he was supposed to chase after Shiemi. He got up on his feet and tried to run past Bon, but the taller male tackled him to the floor again.

"Oy! This dicussion isn't over, you annoying brat!" he taunted as he rose to his feet, threatening the son of Satan like it was nothing.

"It's over when I say it's over!" Rin retorted in an annoyed manner, getting closer to the other boy, Shiemi completely forgotten by now.

"Is that what you think?" Bon growled and the both of them eyed each other with evil intents.

"Bon, forget about it... We need to go anyway," Konekomaru commented with Shima standing behind him.

"Tssk," Bon sounded between his teeth and pushed the shorter black haired boy out of his way as the three headed out of the classroom.

"Sorry about that," Shima apologised as he quickly patted Rin on the shoulder, passing him. "Wanna come by my dorm room later?" he suddenly asked, stopping in his tracks.

"Ah, eh, no, I have things to do today..." Rin admitted a little reluctantly. "I wish I could."

"More training, huh? I get it. We'll hang another time," Shima cheerily said as he left the classroom. "See ya." Sword training was another part of Rin's life that, during these times, _was necessary_ , and everyone around him understood it well.

 _Geez, why does that guy have to get in my way when I'm—_ Rin froze, suddenly rushing into the hallway and looking to both directions with an urgent expression. However, it was too late – Shiemi was already gone.

" _God damn it_!"

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"It's been a while~~" the cheery form of Shura Kirigakure greeted as she appeared into the training hall reserved specifically for her and Rin. Even though she was very busy with demons these days, she still found some time to see that Rin's sword training wasn't going to waste.

"I guess so," Rin replied in an indifferent tone, already removing his sword from the red packaging. Shura's keen senses immediately noted his moody presence.

"Who pissed you off~?" she teased, placing both of her hands to her hips. Rin clenched his teeth in annoyance at her alertness.

" _No one_ ," he hissed as he unsheated his sword, launching toward the scantily dressed female in her mid-twenties. Shura studied his fuming blue flames before summoning her own sword and easily dodging the first attack. She then blocked the next one and their swords clashed a few times before she jumped back.

"Ahh~~ Sure looks like it~~" she continued her taunting, trying to wear out the half demon chasing after her. "Then again, it doesn't take too much to piss a dumbass like you off."

"Who are you calling a _dumbass_?!" Rin growled as he launched one of his more powerful attacks on her. "SATAN SLASH!" he exclaimed as blue flames tried to consume her, though she managed to dodge it once more. She pushed away some of the blue flames with her sword before jumping through them, startling Rin.

Rin blocked the first attack, but Shura soon managed to capture the handle of Kurikara with the tip of her sword, launching it out of his hand a bit too easily.

"And _that_ is how you lose~~" she said, giving a confident smirk as the tip of her sword graced Rin's neck. He couldn't help but bite his lower lip in defeat.

"That wasn't fair in any way, _you bitch_! Let me try it again!" he taunted angrily, causing Shura to get annoyed by his attitude. She pulled away her sword and punched the kid on his cheek, launching him on the floor.

"If you bring that attitude into fighting, you're sure to lose your life even to me, not to mention _actual demons_ ," she sighed in disappointment, looking at the mess on the floor. Rin held back his tongue, feeling the tingling on his cheek as the bruise she made was already starting to heal.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he eventually gave in, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"Sorry isn't going to protect your life. Pick up your sword and we'll go again," Shura said, a softer look in her eyes. She picked up her long hair, that was on a pony tail, and tied it up better so it wouldn't get in the way of training.

"Yeah, yeah," Rin said, getting on his feet and slumping toward his weapon. This was also an ordinary part of Rin's everyday life.

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After training Rin was in his dormitory room, a bunch of Yukio's manga books gathered on his bed. He was sitting in the middle of the mess, holding one of the manga and going through the pages as a distraction. What was going through his head had nothing to do with the text.

 _W–what if she says no?_ he though to himself in utter nervousness, finally putting away the manga and finding his keys from his pocket. One of them was to the exorcism shop that Shiemi's mother owned and it was that particular key that he stopped on. He gently twiddled the key around in his hand, weighing down the options.

"W-wah!" Rin yelped in surprise as a black ball of fur suddenly hopped on his lap, stretching and then lieing down on the comfortable spot. The demon cat and Rin's familiar, Kuro, wrapped its long tail around its body and started purring as he quickly drifted off to sleep on him. Rin relaxed, petting the soft fur of the creature and pausing it to press himself against his hand. A sound of the door opening alerted Rin to the other person, still unknown, entering the room.

"Ah, nii-san... Have you even started your homework?" the younger twin, Yukio, immediately scolded as he strolled across the room with a tense essence.

"A—eh, sure, yeah, mm-hmm," Rin lied after a long string of stutters, causing the other twin to immediately catch onto his felony. He sighed in disappointment, though he hadn't expected any less from Rin.

"You should get to work, nii-san. I need to head right back to work, but I'll know if you haven't finished by the time I come back," Yukio said, unpacking some of his things into his drawer. Rin blinked a couple of times, studying his brother.

"You still have to work? You're gone a lot lately," he pointed out in a casual manner, though slight worry showed through his tone.

"Ma—ne, you know how busy it is right now..." Yukio simply said, avoiding the subject completely. Rin wasn't satisfied with the answer, but decided not to pressure him. He knew that that way he wouldn't get anything out of his twin.

"Well, don't work too hard," he said with a wry smile on his lips. Yukio smiled back, though his eyes were distant, and Rin was unable to connect with them.

"Of course, nii-san. Oh, don't bother with dinner, I'll be back late," he said, opening the door to their old dorm room, ready to leave at any moment.

"Again, huh...?" Rin muttered to himself, though he didn't complain to his twin straight out. "I'll make you something and put it in the fridge so you can eat it later."

"Thank you," Yukio said, still smiling his distant smile, and left the room. Rin still felt absent minded looking after him, deep in thought – which admittedly was rare for him.

 _It's hard to get a grasp on him lately... I wonder how I can fix our relationship,_ he though quietly while petting the cat sound asleep on his lap. While thinking about his brother, his thoughts slowly drifted back to his long time crush – _Shiemi_. He'd been wanting to talk to her about his feelings for a long time, but he was too insecure to actually do it. Especially since Shiemi seemed to have taken a liking to Yukio.

"What do you think, Kuro?" he softly asked the demon on his lap, smiling warmly. Kuro's ears twitched and its large yellow and green eyes opened as it stared up at Rin.

" _Think about what?_ " Kuro spoke back to him using the telepathy between demons, a confused expression on his cat-like face. Rin chuckled at the reaction.

"Nothing important," he laughed, causing Kuro to tilt his head confusedly to the side. The half demon lifted the cat off his lap and moved him to the bed, the cat meowing in surprise. Rin rose to his feet and walked over to the door, selecting the key that lead to the exorcism shop Shiemi lived at.

" _Rin, where are you going? Are you going to give me food before you go?_ " Kuro questioned, now a little bit worried. Rin hadn't talked about leaving earlier that day.

"I'll feed you when I come back. I won't be gone for long – promise," he said with a smile, sticking the key into the lock on the door. The dormitory rooms could be locked for privacy, though there wasn't really any need for the Okumura twins. They were the only two people living in the old dormitory, since Rin was too dangerous to keep around ordinary students.

" _If Rin says so,_ " Kuro spoke still in doubt, though he obediently sat down onto the bed and squinted his eyes as he looked after his master, who disappeared behind the wooden door.

* * *

Shiemi was sitting in the back room of the exorcism shop her mother owned. She was currently organizing some herbs that she has collected from the garden, like she had for the past hour. She often helped around the shop like that whenever she had time.

Her legs were starting to fall asleep from the sitting position she had been in on the floor for such a long time. She yawned and got up to her feet, just to stretch her legs a little – well, as much as her pink kimono allowed her to.

The room was a little dark, since it was getting late and Shiemi had been too focused on her task to realize that she needed to put on lights. Now that she did notice, she headed over to the switch and flicked on the lights. When she turned back around, she suddenly shrieked in horror.

"K—kyah!" she exclaimed in surprise at seeing Rin on the other side of the room, waving at her apologetically. "Rin! Why are you sneaking around like that?" Shiemi asked in relief.

"What, did you think I was a demon or something?" Rin asked with a wide smile, completely ignoring that he in fact _was_ a demon.

"I don't know, but you certainly scared me," Shiemi chuckled before putting some blonde strands of hair behind her ear. The small gesture, for a reason or another, made Rin's face turn a light shade of red.

"Um, Shiemi, I actually needed to talk to you about something..." he admitted a little reluctantly, eyes anywhere but on the girl he was talking to.

"Uh? Is that so?" she asked with her usual warm smile. "Is it about Yuki-chan?" The nickname she had given his brother always made Rin feel slightly depressed. The two always seemed so close in his eyes.

"No, it's not about Yukio... It's about... Um..." Rin stuttered, forcing a faked smile on his lips as he finally turned to look toward Shiemi. "Um... S-Shiemi, will you..." he began, but the words got stuck in his throat. A short silence followed before Shiemi realized to encourage him to speak.

"Will I what?" she asked very innocently as she tilted her head to the side. Rin's face was all kinds of red at this point.

"Will you go out with me?!" he exclaimed in overwhelming embarrasment and fear, though keeping his eyes firmly on Shiemi. It took her a while to process the meaning of that sentence.

"E—eh?!" she replied with a surprised shriek as her face mimiced the color of Rin's own. "W-w-w-w-why are you asking me such a question?" she stuttered in a loss for other words. Rin tried his best to keep his poker face, but his emotions kept showing through it.

"Because... I've liked you for a while now. And I'd really like to go out with you," he explained, his firm gaze faultering. "I wanted to tell you because... If... If I don't pass that exorcism exam, I most likely could never tell you how I feel." His heart was pounding in his chest, like his life was at stake. Shiemi seemed utterly confused.

"T... That... I... I don't know how to..." she stuttered before finally bowing deeply. "Please give me some more time to think!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?!" Rin replied in surprise. "H–how much time are we talking about?" he continued after recovering from the small shock.

"I'm not sure yet, just... Just let me think for a few days. After that I promise I'll give you my answer," Shiemi said, still bowing down. Rin was surprised how well she was keeping her cool. However, the words coming out of her mouth... They _hurt_. It felt like a roundabout rejection. Even though Rin felt that way, when he finally met eyes with Shiemi, he snapped his eyes away and nodded in acceptance. Shiemi let out a relieved breath.

"I'll be going now... Bye," Rin said as he exited the backroom, leaving Shiemi to look at the closed door. She placed one hand on top of her pounding heart, unable to think straight.

At that moment in time, Rin had broken the normal passage of his days.

* * *

"What am I going to do with that response!" Rin whined, collapsing on Shima's bed and burying his face into his forearms. Shima, who hadn't been expecting to see Rin that evening, studied his friend with slight concern.

"You really told Moriyama-san how you feel?" Konekomaru, who was Shima's roommate, asked from his side of the room. He was peeking at them behind the tall bookcase that separated the boys' personal spaces.

"Uh–huh— Wait, you knew?" Rin asked as he suddenly jumped up into a sitting position, pointing toward Konekomaru in surprise.

"Everyone knows... It's pretty obvious, you know," Shima chirped with a small smile that hinted disbelief.

"Wha— it is?" Rin asked, completely baffled. The two boys gave a weak chuckle.

"Moriyama-san probably meant what she said when she told she needed time. Maybe she hasn't thought about you that way before," Konekomaru pointed out in a calm manner. That made Rin only feel more depressed and he slumped back down onto the bed.

"That so..." he whined.

"Look at you, acting so pathetic over being rejected. I get rejected all the time, yet I'm completely happy," Shima boasted as he strolled once around his side of the room. "It's our duty as men to please women, not mope around!" he declared.

"Well, you sure don't mope around, but _still_..." Konekomaru muttered to himself as he listened to Shima's rambling in frustration at his behaviour. He was supposed to be a _monk_ after all. Shima paid no mind to him.

"Are you going to lie down in my bed forever?" he asked, slightly leaning toward the black haired boy.

"What if I am, it's not like there's any point in moving..." he muttered darkly. Shima shook his head in disapproval.

"Listen to me, Okumura Rin! With women, you often have to take a step back in order to proceed. They are much more emotional creatures than men, making them take their time to make a decision like this. Who knows, she might actually end up as your girlfriend," he explained in a knowing manner, causing Rin to look at him, seemingly still in doubt.

"You sound so smart! I guess you're right," he suddenly said, his mood completely changed. Big words and speeches often confused Rin, causing him to show respect toward the speaker. Well, that didn't work with a certain principal he knew, though.

"Right?" Shima replied with a satisfied grin. Konekomaru shook his head before disappearing back behind the bookcase.

"I see, so she might actually say yes... I understand," Rin muttered to himself in deep thought, like he was struggling with a very difficult problem.

"Now, are you going to get off my bed?!" Shima exclaimed in annoyment.

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.

.

It was completely dark in the room where the three creatures were in, but they all could see each other very clearly. Two with forest green and dark green and one with yellow eyes, the different colors giving out a subtle glow.

"You might want to step back, my dear~~" Mephisto sang as he urged the curly haired female standing right beside him to move away. She studied his expression before backing away. "Now then..."

"Aniue, I hope you're not attempting what I think you are..." Amaimon, pierced by the clock hands, spoke between gritted teeth. He was nervous and it showed through even his emotionless face.

"My host body is already under great strain, so I would appreciate it if you didn't resist~~" the taller brother spoke cheerily to the King of Earth. The green haired demon glared at the third person in the room.

"No need to be pissed at me," she responded with a colorless tone, her earlier happy mood seemingly gone. However, the small smile that had decorated her lips came back when Amaimon's expression darkened. "Wah~~ I think he's gonna kill me."

"He's not gonna be able to after we're done here," Mephisto pointed out with a small chuckle. After that he turned to his younger brother again. "You already know, but this is going to hurt~~" he spoke with a demonic grin plastered on his features before extending one of his arms toward Amaimon.

Immediately after that a shriek of pain was deserved from the immobilized demon, every inch of his being working against what was being done to him. His eyes were squeezed shut and his body was twitching in protest when the magic invaded his human host, pulling out his demonic powers by force. The smile was gone from the only female's lips, seeing the sight before her.

"Ahh~~ I thought I told you not to resist, Amaimon," Mephisto complained in an exaggerated manner, giving out a suppressed sound between his teeth as the usage of such strong magic was putting farther strain on him. He didn't look quite as cheery as before, either.

"Ani—" Amaimon sounded, though he couldn't finish the word. His demonic form was forced out in the open, exposing his lizard like tail and most importantly, his demon heart. His arms were also caused to change form and his green and red horns grew from his head.

"There it is~~" Mephisto sang as he gave a toothy smile, stopping the flow of magic on his little brother. He was panting, as he had been worn out by the protest of showing his vital parts. The last time he had regained his demonic form was when he had been released from the cuckoo clock of the King of Time, and was trying to attack Rin Okumura, but then he had been consumed by rage.

"Are you sure this'll work?" the female asked in her developed uncertainty, her whole essence giving out the same feeling. Her posture was slightly slumped and her arms were crossed, her eyes carrying worry as she studied every move of Mephisto.

"You will find out in a moment or so, won't you~~?" he chirped without looking at the female, reaching his gloved hand toward Amaimon's chest. The demon tried to back away, but he was still stuck on the clock hands. Without farther warning, Mephisto grabbed his heart, ripping it out of his chest.

Amaimon screamed in agony at the gesture, every pain cencor in his body going off at once. All his muscles tensed before slumping as he passed out from exhaustion. Another reason for that was that his host body could no longer stand his demonic form and he quickly turned back human.

Mephisto looked at the heart of his brother with an indifferent expression, even though it was his life that he was carrying in his hands. Destroying a demon's heart meant killing them for good, and he was but one move away from that possibility. However, that was not his plan this time around.

"Now we'll just have to hope that you are powerful enough to withstand it," the tall demon sang, ignoring the slightly stronger pain he was feeling due to using his magic in such a reckless way. He walked over to the female staring at him with a worried expression.

"You're going to most likely pass out after this, so I'll tell you now~~ From what I believe, you'll be able to hold his power for two or three months. After that your body will cave in and that'll be bad news for the both of you," Mephisto explained as he looked at the female with a bit more serious expression.

"We wouldn't want that to happen, ne~~?" she replied in an exaggerated worried tone. Mephisto hummed in surprise at her now more calm attitude.

"Anything to restrain my brother~~" he replied before suddenly forcing Amaimon's heart into the girl's chest. She screamed in surprise and pain as even the figures of the two demon kings became completely black.

* * *

 **I would reeeally appreciate feedback~ How about it?**


	4. Chapter 4 - Growing Worry

Chapter 4 – Growing Worry

Soft beams of light slowly entered her vision and her eyes fluttered open. It was bright, insanely bright - or maybe she just felt that way after bathing in Gehenna's darkness. When her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she could make out where she was.

It was a large room with expensive looking furniture. The wallpaper was pink, even disgustingly so, and the furniture was of either dark wood or painted completely white. Some things, like the curtain rod, were covered in gold paint. She was lying on top of a double bed with a white bedspread that fit the rest of the room well.

She sat up on the bed, sinking a little bit into the soft mattress. As soon as she moved, she realized that there was a heavy feeling on her chest. That feeling would no doubt spread to the rest of her body in no time, she realized when she recalled what had happened before. She intended to leave the bed, but when her feet touched the ground, she noticed that her shoes and coat were missing. The smell of lilies from the bedside table accompanied the tense atmosphere.

* * *

"I thought I smelled you around here, _King of Time_ ," she said, entering one of the rooms inside the mansion. The tall demon was sat on the opposite side of the room that, from anyone's point of view looked exactly like a den of an otaku. It was covered in different Japanese merchandise and the same pink that was on the walls of her room.

"Dear, dear~~ Who else would you expect?" Mephisto sang in an exaggerated tone as he turned to look at the female from the corner of his eye. Then he turned his eyes back away, toward the large flat screen in the room. Currently it seemed that he was spending his time playing a video game of sorts.

She held her tongue and allowed the door to close after her as she walked farther into the room. Her sharp eyes did not miss the obvious markings on Mephisto's neck, though the rest of his body was covered by the multiple pillows stacked between them. She could also see that he was wearing a yukata, though she could only determine the color from its appearance – pink.

"You've looked better," she joked as her eyes were still on his wounds. Mephisto grinned, though the other could not see it from where she was standing. He paused the game and threw the controller onto the pillows.

"You're right, how rude of me to present myself like this in front of a lady~~!" he said. Then, after a simple snap of his fingers, was his yukata replaced by his usual clothes, though the white cape and top hat were left behind. Then he got up from where he was sitting and danced over to the woman. "I am terribly sorry for any and all discomfort this _arrangement_ has made you feel," he opened slyly while casually circling behind her back and placing one of his hands on her shoulder. She didn't seem to care about his position.

"Hmm, there isn't much to apologise during this part... I'll blame you later," she replied with an amused hum and studied his smirk over her shoulder. It was unchanging, though Mephisto removed his hand from her and stood in front of his comically large bed.

"Is that so, darling~~? Then I'll be sure to prepare offering you a shoulder to cry on," he said. The conversation was quite pointless, but the both of them didn't mind that fact.

"The day I'll need you for that sort of thing will be the day you'll kill me," she responded quite bluntly and folded her arms.

"Really, is that how you think about me~~? That almost makes me feel disappointed," he said in a voice that sounded regretful, yet the smirk was still present on his face. "That aside, I'm assuming you're here to ask about what happened after your lights went out." She looked away from him before speaking.

"That's correct. Quite honestly I was expecting the whole thing to be done in better taste, like you usually do things," she admitted before laying her eyes on Mephisto again. "Then again, I keep telling myself not to expect anything from you," she said, returning his smirk.

"How terrible~~" he cried playfully. The smirk on her face retracted to a simple smile, that wasn't a rare expression on her.

"What happened to Amaimon after that?" she asked quite casually while walking past the otaku and looking through some of his things.

"Ah—please restrain yourself from touching anything, most of those are collector's items!" he suddenly urged, showing concern toward his things. The female, who had just grabbed a figurine from the shelf, quietly put it back and turned back toward him. When they met eyes again, a smile was spread across his features as he responded to her question. "He woke up quite some time ago and stormed off. Apparently what we did was not to his liking at all~~."

"I don't think it was a pleasant experience for any of us," she responded before sitting down on the edge of his bed. Her posture was straight and she crossed her legs like a good mannered lady would.

"Indeed~~" Mephisto shrugged. "Who knew my little brother would put up such a fight~~" he joked, since it was known for both of them that Amaimon had temper issues. "After it happened I took it as my duty to bring you back. You were asleep for twenty hours."

"Huh~~ That's a personal record," she chuckled and placed both of her hands on top of her knee. "Ne, since what you asked me to do is done now, I wanted to talk to you about another matter," she suddenly said, changing the topic.

"I was waiting for your ulterior motive to come to light," he responded calmly. "Naturally I already know what you're going to ask of me~~" he continued, as another snap of his fingers summoned a tea pot to his hand. A small table with two white tea cups appeared into the room as well. "Tea?"

" _Naturally_ ," she responded, as Mephisto was already handing out one of the cups for her. She took it and allowed the other to fill it with hot water. He didn't ask anything before snapping his fingers again. A lemon tea bag sank into her cup. "You remembered – I'm quite flattered," she said while staring down at the cup.

"Such things don't slip my mind so easily, you know," he said in a slightly disappointed tone. "Anyway, are you really so interested in meddling with Okumura Rin's future?"

"How could I not be? He has inherited the blue flames of Satan," she laughed, as if what Mephisto had said was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. "That, _and_ he is only a half demon. You know I absolutely _must_ meet that sort of person." Mephisto let out a chuckle.

"Of course, of course... I'm aware of how your mind works by now. I summoned you with that thought in mind," he replied before removing the tea bag from his cup and taking a sip of the hot liquid.

"So... You were prepared to repay me in that form? In the form of getting a place near Okumura Rin?" she asked with an odd gleam in her eyes. It seemed that this topic was indeed a pleasant one for her. She almost seemed obsessed with the feelings that were transmitted through her pose and expression.

"Might I remind you that I have no need to repay you in any way," Mephisto said in a scarily cold tone, staring down the one sitting on his bed. Suddenly shivers went up her spine and her pupils shrinked when she was reminded of her place in this simple way. Her eyes averted to her tea as she quietly removed the tea bag from the water. The reaction seemed to satisfy Mephisto, whose expression was soon changed to his usual toothy grin. It felt like nothing at all had happened only seconds ago when he continued talking. "It however does not mean that I won't do it." Her eyes shot up from her cup of tea and back to the King of Time.

"You're willing to include me in... Whatever it is you are planning?" she asked in slight disbelief, though it was obvious that she was excited regardless.

"Yes, I decided it long time before even calling you. I already have a place for you on my methaphorical chessboard~~" he announced in a cheery manner and leaned slightly toward the female. Her lips curved into a smile.

"Who knew you'd actually let me near your younger brothers... Well, I suppose that soon even Rin can easily get rid of me anyway," she shrugged and then took a sip of her tea.

"I'm quite certain of that – especially with you helping him do it," Mephisto said in a cryptic way.

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.

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When Rin entered the classroom, did Shiemi's bright green eyes get glued to their desk and a blush spread across her face. Rin did not fail to detect this, and a similar color appeared on his face. From the side of the classroom, amused snickers of Shima could be heard.

"Uh... M-morning," Rin stuttered, acting like nothing had happened, though avoiding looking anyone in the eye.

"Mornin'," Bon replied without looking away from his textbook, seemingly uninterested about whatever was going on. Rin awkwardly made his way through the room and sat down on his seat next to Shiemi's, shyly looking at the girl from the corner of his eye.

It did not take long for Yukio to appear, but unlike usually, he lingered near the classroom door before starting the class.

"I'm sorry I'm late, but there's something I need to inform you of. From today onward this class will have a new member," he told, causing everyone's expression turn to a shocked one. Yukio turned to look toward the door and nodded to someone the class could not see. Then she walked out into the open.

"My name is Shimizu Amaya. Nice to meet you all~~" sang a tall teenage girl from the front of the classroom. Everyone seemed to be in disbelief while staring at her. She didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary – she was wearing the same school uniform as other female students of True Cross. Her hair was purple and curly and was tied back to keep off from her face. Her outfit was finished with a pair of black, just the tiniest bit see-through knee socks with a cute lace lining. Her skin was pale, though not sickly so – overall she seemed like a normal, pretty girl.

However, why the class was shocked had nothing to do with what she looked like.

"Why is there a student being transferred to this class so near to the exorcist exams?!" Izumo was the one to voice the thoughts of everyone. That caused the girl, who had called herself Amaya Shimizu, to hum happily.

"My family's very rich so I bought myself into the class with the bastard son of Satan in it," she said cheerily, a wide smile on her face as she studied the expressions of the students. Especially Rin looked stunned. Before anyone could say anything, she continued. "Just kidding~! I moved to Japan from another country a while ago, so naturally I needed to join a cram school held here."

"Thank you, Shimizu-san... You can take your seat now," Yukio said as calmly as ever, pointing her toward the desks. Inside, however, he felt very unsure about this girl.

"Thank you very much, Okumura-sensei~~" she chirped as she made her way to the seats behind Shiemi and Rin, throwing her school bag onto the desk. As soon as she sat down, her eyes were glued to Rin, who was sitting in front of her. When she realized that everyone was studying her every move at the moment, she averted her gaze elsewhere.

 _She certainly doesn't look like a demon,_ Yukio thought whenever he looked at her. She was missing all the outer signs of being one – the pointy ears, fangs and a tail. _But then, what is this feeling that I find impossible to shake..._

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.

.

In time the cram school was over and the students started packing their bags. Since there was a new student in the class, it was only natural for everyone's attention to be on her.

"Shimizu-san, was it...? Is it true that you asked to be in the same class with Okumura-kun?" Konekomaru asked, being the first one to approach her. She turned toward the boy and smiled widely.

"It is," she said while leaning her head against her open hand. "Is it odd to you?" she continued with the same happy tone.

"Honestly speaking, a little bit... I thought someone wanting to become an exorcist would be more skeptical about him. Then again, Kamiki-san didn't react to him that strongly either, since she already had relations with other demons," he responded with a wry smile. "I was just wondering if it was something similar with you."

"Kamiki-san...?" she questioned while looking around the classroom.

"Hey," Izumo greeted from her seat while throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"Ah, I should've guessed by your appearance," Amaya chirped. "And your name was...?" she asked while turning her head back toward Konekomaru.

"What was that supposed to mean..." Izumo muttered to herself.

"He's called Miwa Konekomaru. I'm Suguro Ryuji. Nice to meet you," the larger male with multi-colored hair greeted as he stepped beside his friend.

"Hey, did you purpously leave me unintroduced?!" Shima exclaimed from behind the two. "My name is Shima Renzo. I'm really happy that such a cute girl joined our class~~" he said, his angry tone quickly changed to a flattering one.

"Oy, shut your mouth, spy," Bon snapped at the boy.

"Oh, me, cute? How nice of you to say~!" the girl sang happily, to Bon's surprise. Shima didn't take any time to push through the two other boys and next to the girl who had gladly exepted his compliment.

"What, what, I'm just stating facts here! It's always nice to have someone pretty so near my seat!" he continued his flattery while sitting on the desk behind her chair, a wide smile on his lips.

"What, Shima's flirting is actually working?" Rin said, cutting into the conversation from the seats in front of Amaya's. Her eyes snapped from Shima to Rin, her expression gaining a completely new light. That caused the half demon to flinch back a little.

"O-Okumura Rin," he said, introducing himself since he wasn't sure what else to say to those eyes.

"I already know," was the simple response of the girl before she turned to look away from Rin. "What about you?" she asked Shiemi, who had stood up from her seat and seemed like she would leave at any second. When she was addressed, she completely stopped and turned to greet the girl.

"O-oh, me? I'm Moriyama Shiemi," she said with a smile. Rin, who turned to look at her, their mutual awkwardness forgotten for the moment, realized something quite odd. Shiemi did not seem as warm toward this new student as she usually did toward everyone else. For some reason, she seemed to be downright avoiding her. In any other case she would've been one of the first people to introduce herself and even ask to be friends with the new student, but this time around it was not the case.

"Hmm, it's nice to meet you all~" Amaya hummed happily while looking through her classmates. Only Takara hadn't said a word, but the girl didn't seem to care about him.

"Oy, class is already over. You should consider leaving," their current teacher, Kaoru Tsubaki, said in an annoyed manner, as he was already leaving himself. After that even Rin and Amaya got up from their seats and the group of students all headed for the door.

.

.

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"Okumura Rin."

Rin heard a soft female voice calling his name. He stopped in his tracks and turned around toward the sound. Amaya Shimizu was standing about twenty meters behind him. That he had only noticed her presence when his name was called was surprising to him. He couldn't have simply disregarded the sound of her approaching, or the smell of her perfume, since no one else besides him and Yukio usually came near the old male dormitory.

"Amaya?" he called her name in confusion, causing her to laugh for a bit.

"Dropping all the honorifics and even calling me by my first name without asking. The rumors seem to be true," she spoke in an amused tone as she walked toward Rin to lessen the distance between them. "I'm sorry for coming to talk to you out of the blue, but it's not every day you get transferred to the same class as the famous son of Satan." Rin seemed to be on the guard with this girl, since she seemed very strange to him.

"Did you follow me all the way here?" he asked as a small breeze caused both of their hair and clothes to flutter. She casually placed a hand over her skirt to cover herself before answering.

"I did. You didn't notice me?" she asked with a rather cute smile. "I can be very quiet if I want to be." For some reason that didn't exactly convince Rin.

"Was that what it was? Haha," he replied with his usual cheery tone anyway. He rubbed the back of his head with one hand to show humility. "Like Konekomaru, I'm surprised that you're not afraid of me."

"Maybe I'm a little bit afraid of you," she said and hid her hands behind her back. "However, to me you're kind of like a celebrity. When I first heard about your existence, I immediately became intrigued," she told. "I heard you sometimes keep your tail in the open, but this wasn't one of those days, eh?" she suddenly asked out of the blue and leaned a bit toward Rin. He took a step back when Amaya was getting a bit too close to him.

"Oh, uh, I was told that it's not a good idea, so now most of the time I keep it hidden..." he admitted a bit awkwardly. The girl he was talking to made little sense to him.

"That's probably for the best," she agreed. "I also heard that your demonic powers are sealed into the sword on your back," she continued, her eyes averting to the red case on Rin's shoulder. Naturally, he turned to look at it as well.

"Eh, yeah, I—" Rin was surprised when he looked toward where Amaya had previously stood, since she wasn't there anymore. "Hu—" He was about to let out a confused sound when he felt someone grab the case on his back. Then, immediately when he felt it, he grabbed a hold of Kurikara and yanked it out of the hand that was trying to take a hold of it. Amaya stared at him with big eyes when the sword was snatched from her grasp. Then a smile spread to her face again.

"I see, you know to protect it," she said cheerily.

"What's the big idea?!" Rin asked angrily, as the last person who tried to take away his sword was Mephisto Pheles, and before that, the Earth King Amaimon. That occurence didn't end well, he remembered.

"Really, yelling to a weak girl like myself..." Amaya spoke sadly, her eyes suddenly on the ground. That made Rin feel a stroke of guilt, though he was still on guard.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I really don't like it when people try to take my sword," he said honestly. "You said you can be quiet when you move, but that really wasn't something I expected..." he continued.

"Ah, well..." she hummed, her mood changed from a saddened one to the usual cheeriness. "You would've noticed it if you weren't so reserved." _Reserved?_ That word left Rin confused of what she was trying to say.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, taking half a step away from the strange girl. He had seen enough strange people as it was, but this one gave him a familiar feeling he did not like. _However he looked at it_ , as it was, the girl reminded him of Mephisto.

"I mean... It's clear since you're a half demon that you also have the senses of a demon. But from what I've gathered, lately you've been feeling very reluctant of using them, right?" she asked. Rin almost choked on his surprise, that feeling leaving him coughing a few times.

"Is this what people learned in class while I was sleeping...?" he muttered this pointless sentence to himself when he was done with coughing. "How can you even know such a thing?" He directed this question to Amaya.

"Uuuh... I went by instinct?" she said in a way that made it sound more like a question. "I was just guessing that, since you're becoming more and more of a demon every time you use your powers, around this point you would feel uncertain," she informed.

"Are you a mind reader?" Rin asked bluntly, making himself sound like an airhead. That caused Amaya to burst into laughter once more.

"Ahahaha! No, but it would make things easier if I was. Let's just say that I'm an expert on humans," she replied. "You're an especially amusing one, even if you're only half."

"Your talkativeness is tiring," he said with a yawn, thinking of simply walking past the girl and leaving her be.

"Is that any way to talk to a cute girl who's also your classmate?" she teased and folded her arms for the duration of her sentence. Then she stepped closer to the male. "You know, you would make your life much easier if you just gave in to your senses," she joked with her eyes suggestively narrowed. Of course that was something that would make a teenage boy blush.

"H-huh? Again with that shit? What are you even talking about?" Rin responded, trying to forget about the attractive appearance of that girl. Something about her, as much as he disliked her now, made his heart flutter when she did something like that. It was odd, since he had once been pressed against Shura Kirigakure's breasts, yet he didn't feel similar at all. She let out a soft chuckle.

"Your demon side is not your enemy, trust me on this one. You might be afraid of losing control, but you can only lose control if that side of you is unknown – you can't control what you don't understand. And while you have been very bold with your demonic habits so far, I hear, lately you've been feeling constricted about your growing strenght. Ne?" she spoke very clearly, trying to get Rin to understand her point. Suddenly it felt like everything she said until now had been preparation for this short speech.

"Uh..." Rin blinked a few times before letting out a defeated sigh. "I get what you mean. Fine, I admit it, I have been feeling a little restless... I haven't been aware of my demonic side for _that long_ , though it feels like those events happened far in the past..." he continued. "With my training and all that's been happening, I feel like I'm seeing the world in slightly different colors. You know?" He spilled the thoughts on top of his mind to this strange girl, wondering even himself why he would do that.

"That's a nice way of putting it~~" she replied happily. "However, I'm telling you, those powers you have are not a curse. They've probably caused you problems, but also helped you a bunch of times, right? Then again, you're most likely already aware of it," she prattled on. "You're not fully human, and you should not try to act like one, even in small occasions like these." That statement pushed one of Rin's buttons, as he suddenly felt anger toward this person.

"Oy, I'm still _half_ human! It's _just fine_ for me to act like one," he growled angrily. This time around the girl didn't seem to flinch.

"Oh dear, did my message come out a bit different from the intended?" she asked in a worried tone. "In no way do I wish to be your enemy. I'm a big fan of yours, after all..." Rin's expression softened again. Why did he have this feeling that he was completely wrapped around Amaya's little finger?

"I need to go do my homework," he said, avoiding eye contact with the female.

"Can I come with you? I could probably be of help... And I suppose I need to finish my own as well," she chuckled. _You suppose?_ Rin looked the girl up and down, and since he couldn't come up with a reason why he couldn't invite her in, he simply sighed as a response. "I'll take that as a yes!" And so she followed him inside the building.

* * *

Rin sat at his desk while Amaya was seated on his bed. They both had their books out, one of them looking completely puzzled with the questions and one writing down the answers with a small smile on her face.

"I don't get this one either..." Rin admitted after thinking about the question for a long time. The purple haired girl looked up from her own work.

"Let me see~~" she chirped and Rin handed her the notebook. And it certainly wasn't the first time during her visit that he had received help from her. "Oh, I see..." she looked a bit disappointed when seeing where he was stuck. Rin averted his eyes to the window while Amaya wrote something down on his notebook. "There you go~~" she said while handing the notebook back. The half demon looked at what she had wrote down, clear anger suddenly taking over his expression.

"WHAT'S THIS SUPPOSED TO BE?!" he exclaimed in anger as he pointed toward the text ' _This was an easy one, you stupid idiot_ ' written down in the notes. "Are you supposed to be my fan or what?!"

"Ahahahaha! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," she laughed, leaning back in her seat to allow more air into her lungs. "I'll help you for real this time around," she assured, her hand stretched out toward the notebook. Rin was naturally skeptical of her words, but gave her the notebook anyway.

"Geez..." he muttered before taking a look at his textbook.

After that the door to the dorm room of Rin and Yukio opened and the younger twin stepped inside. His eyes went straight to the girl sitting on Rin's bed.

"I thought I heard a second voice inside... I'm surprised to see you here, Shimizu-san," Yukio said calmly and a small smile on his lips. He seemed a little tired as he got rid of his black coat and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "I'm glad to see you're doing your homework, nii-san."

"I need to pass that exam, don't I..." he replied before turning to Amaya for a moment. "She has been really helpful. I think you should meet the teachers at her old cram school or something, Yukio."

"Is that so?" he asked, seemingly slightly amused by Rin's words, though in all honesty Amaya's precense made him feel even more uncertain about the new student.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Okumura-sensei," she said when she was done writing down a sentence into Rin's notebook. She then handed it back to the boy.

"No need to adress me that when I'm not on-duty," Yukio replied and sat down on his bed. "At the moment, I'm just a regular high schooler," he said, smiling.

"So you're not going out today?" Rin asked in a hopeful tone.

"Not in a couple more hours, at least," he replied, causing Rin to feel disappointed.

"Okumura-kun and Okumura-kun... It might be a little awkward, so how about I call you by your first names?" Amaya asked cheerily, apparently concerned with completely different matters from Rin.

"Ah, I suppose that's fine..."

"I don't care either way."

"Is that so? I'm glad, Yukio-kun, Rin-kun," she replied, turning back to her homework. Yukio laid down on his bed, averting his gaze from Amaya. There was still something about her that he could not put his finger on. This one more worry to his life was definitely something he had not asked for.

* * *

 **Please give me feedback~ :)**


	5. Chapter 5 - Emotional Affairs

Chapter 5 – Emotional Affairs

Rin rushed through the long hallways of True Cross Academy in an all out panic, as he was once again late from his morning classes. His clothes were disheveled and his hair was wild to say the least. The few students and teachers still in the hallways ducked and gave the boy surprised and angered looks when he ran past them.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed, twirling around for a moment, though still going forward. Then he entered his classroom with a harsh shove of the door. "I'm here!" he yelled, causing some of the students in the classroom to snicker.

"This is the who knows how manieth time, Okumura-kun. Please try to arrive on time," the teacher scolded tiredly. "Just go take your seat for now."

"R-right. Sorry," Rin stuttered and stared at the floor in embarrasment for a moment. Then he walked to his seat, claiming his place and throwing his bag onto the desk. He leaned his head against his hands and sighed, already getting distracted from whatever the teacher was talking about. It was biology class he had first, _right_?

He didn't feel like he needed any of these regular high school classes. He was going to become an exorcist, he didn't need to know about how a bird's bones are structured or how many different types of rocks there are. He needed to know about demons, things he only learnt after these useless classes, in his exorcism cram school. He was annoyed by the fact that Mephisto was forcing him to attend his school.

" _Psst._ " Rin jumped at the sound coming somewhere oddly near and annoyingly loudly. He blinked a few times, turning his head and looking for the direction where the sound had come from. And after a moment of looking around, he got it.

There she was – sitting a few seats back from him, in the True Cross girls' uniform he had seen on her before. Her legs were crossed and her chin was leaning against one of her hands in a relaxed manner. On her lips was a grin that could counter the principal's.

"W—what are you doing here...?!" he exclaimed in surprise when he recognized the girl as Amaya Shimizu, the transfer student from his cram class.

" _Okumura-kun_ , talk one more time without permission and I'm sending you to the principal's office," the teacher said in an angry voice, staring down the teenage boy.

"Oh, uh, sorry..." Rin said, starting to feel a little repetitive. The teacher continued with his lesson right after that.

Rin turned toward the girl again, earning an even wider, amused grin from her. Why was he being tormented by this girl's _unannounced_ presence?

* * *

"You're in _my_ class?!" Rin exclaimed in confusion.

"That's the class I was assigned into... You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Amaya replied, leaning against the wall of the classroom. They had some time before the next lesson would start, and used it on talking.

"I just... What are you even doing here? I didn't think I'd see you outside the cram class..." Rin spoke in an incoherent manner, forming incomplete sentences.

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'?" she chuckled. "When I transferred here, you didn't think I was just going to join your cram class, did you?"

In all honesty, Rin hadn't really even given thought to the idea that Amaya might transfer to his class in particular. He was slightly on guard with the girl, but when he really thought about it... It was nice to have someone familiar in his highschool classes as well. Someone besides Godain, of course.

"I guess it makes sense," he caved, slumping onto her desk and thoughtfully studying the ceiling.

"That's what I thought. Even you should be able to handle that information," the girl mocked, causing Rin to bare his teeth half playfully. She laughed for a good moment, gathering looks from the students nearby.

Maybe she wasn't as bad as he had first thought. Maybe something nice could actually come out of their relationship.

.

.

.

There they were, three different people sitting together in a silent room – one behind the table and two on the seats placed in front of it. Despite the smiles on each of their faces, the atmosphere was actually rather tense. If it were between any other three people, would it also have been called awkward. No one had said a word since the meeting had begun.

"Alright~~ I'll be the one to break this silence," Mephisto chirped and leaned his chin on his crossed fingers. "As you might've heard, _Shimizu Amaya_ is a new transfer student here," he said, eyeing the girl on one of the seats.

Amaya seemed laid back, sitting in a relaxed position on her chair and studying the person next to her with an interested gaze. Her legs were crossed and a tame smirk lingered on her painted lips. The third person in Mephisto's office seemed neutral, since his eyes were hidden by his messy hair, but a small smile could be detected from him.

"Aah, yeah, I have heard about that," he spoke rather relaxed and seemed to eye the girl, who was seemingly younger than him. "The question is why you have specially summoned me to meet her. I would've met her in cram class eventually," Lewin Light, also known as _Lightning_ , an Arc Knight and an exorcist of the True Cross Order pondered out loud.

"Hmm..." the girl hummed, shifting her head just the slightest bit.

"I'm aware of it~~ But you see, this student is quite the special one~~" Mephisto explained while his sharp eyes traveled between the two people across the table from him. "I'd like for you talk with her now rather than later, after all, we don't want to hassle the other students, ne?" he continued, suddenly leaning back in his chair and then jumping to his feet. "I'll give you privacy if you wish so~~."

"I don't think that's needed," Lightning declared with an amused tone, now fully turning to the girl.

Mephisto couldn't in all honesty deal with Lightning's personality, and that was the reason he felt the need to consult him rather than letting him and Amaya meet all by themselves, around other people. He felt that, even if he had to drop his guard the slightest bit when he was around, it was important for his plans to know where the Arc Knight stood in each situation.

"So~ You're special, huh? You're a demon, right?" And as usual, he ever so bluntly announced something like that and the smile on his lips seemed permanent. Mephisto hummed to himself, smirking and strolling around the room to go through one of his manga shelves.

"You were right, Mephisto – he figured it out immediately~!" Amaya chirped oddly happily and spread her arms dramatically to the sides. Her spine bent forward, causing her to lean backwards over the armrest of her chair.

" _Ha_ – I was right," Lightning declared in satisfaction. "Even if you don't have the outer appearance of one, I guessed correctly," he continued, one finger up like he was making a point. "That already limits my guesses on which demon exactly you are. I'm surprised to see you inside the perimeters of this school, if I'm honest," he said. Mephisto however did not believe it came as such a surprise to the man.

"If I'm honest, I'm surprised you haven't tried attacking me by now. That's what exorcists usually do when they meet me," she giggled, straightening herself and slightly leaning toward her conversation partner.

"Wah! Attack you? I already know it'd be a very messy battle. I don't think _he_ would appreciate us wrecking his academy," Lightning said, pointing toward Mephisto, who had picked a manga from the shelf and strolled over to his chair. He plopped down onto it, the chair twirling so that its back was toward the other two people.

"I certainly wouldn't," Mephisto commented without looking up from his manga.

"Hey~~ Now that you know, Lewin Light, do you wanna have sex with me?" the girl chirped ever so casually. The headmaster of the school stopped in the middle of turning a page, twirling his chair just enough to see her expression from the corner of his eye. Was _surprise_ the feeling he was experiencing?

"That certainly was a bold offer!" Lightning exclaimed with the same smile that he had worn throughout the conversation. "And while it is a tempting offer, my honor might suffer from such things. Not only would it be a taboo because of our different species, we also have a student-teacher relationship now," he spoke in an amused tone. A small pout was visible on her features.

"I suppose~~" she dragged out the second word. "It would've been interesting to do with such a strong exorcist as yourself. This isn't a chance you meet every day!" she declared happily.

"I wasn't aware you were so hung up on your honor," Mephisto commented with a wide smirk on his lips. He believed that like himself, Lightning would only say things that would convenience him. Though, rather than straight up lying, Mephisto preferred to _speak around the truth_ and reveal only what was _necessary._ There was a meaningful difference there.

"That's because I'm not," he replied as casually as ever, standing up and heading toward the door of the office. "If that was everything, I'll be leaving."

"In a hurry?" Amaya asked, her smile fading slightly and being replaced by pure curiosity.

"Something like that," Lightning replied, shrugging and reaching for the door handle. His movement stopped when the girl spoke again.

"It'll be trouble if you talk about this to anyone," she commented in a neutral tone, like it wasn't even important, though his awareness of the situation could prove to be drastic.

"Right?" Lightning said, turning to look toward the girl with a smile spread wide on his features. Then he exited without another word.

Amaya jumped up from her chair, folding her arms and thoughtfully looking at the closed door. Then, after a moment she turned toward Mephisto, who seemed engulfed by his manga. The silence continued for several minutes, Amaya seemingly thinking and Mephisto reading.

Mephisto was quite relieved that the conversation between Lightning and Amaya had been gone through here rather than the classroom, but many things were still uncertain. It was hard to tell what would happen now that he knew. He knew that Mephisto was planning something, but that was nothing new. The best situation would be one where Lightning would simply take it as another part of Rin's training. Technically speaking, that's exactly what it was, after all.

"That guy is an interesting persona," Amaya finally said, a bit less brightly than she usually spoke.

"Indeed~~ He is difficult to handle on many occasions. That is the exact reason I organized your meeting~~" Mephisto revealed, turning toward the girl and putting down his manga. Their eyes met, his smile catching onto her.

"While I don't like all humans, I definitely like him~" Amaya chirped. "Even if this is all I know about him, I most definitely like him," she continued in a pleased tone.

"Hmm? I suppose you would..." Mephisto half mumbled. Then he stood up, striding toward the door in a similar manner to Lightning, though his movements were clearly more graceful.

"You're leaving too?" she asked in disappointment, leaning toward the large desk at the very back of the room.

"It can't be helped~~ I need to go keep watch on today's detention. No other teachers were available~~" he explained, shrugging dramatically. "Auf Wiedersehen, my darling~!" And just like that, Amaya was left alone in the large, glamorous office.

"He really is a principal after all," she muttered pointlessly to herself, glancing out the large window of the office.

.

.

.

Two days passed.

The anything but ordinary high school life of the exorcism students continued normally. Though Amaya and Lightning spent time in the same classroom, they barely shared a look during that time. He seemed to be showing the green light for now, but it really was difficult to tell what that person was thinking. For all the demons knew he could've already spilled everything to Angel and the Grigori. All they could do was be patient.

It was currently Lightning's class, and he was almost done with his always strange lecture. The students in the cram class all seemed rather tired of the day, though it showed most on Rin. He was in danger of falling asleep on his desk.

 _Damn it... Lightning and his tiring lesson..._ Rin thought, leaning his head against one of his hands. _I'd rather be sword training with Shura._

Eventually the lesson _did_ end, and Rin managed to stay awake all the way through it. He felt a little bit proud of himself every time he succeeded in that.

"Wanna hang out later?" Amaya asked with a wide smile on her face, leaning over her desk and right next to Rin's ear.

"GAH! Beat it!" he exclaimed in surprise and gently shoved the girl away. Bon rolled his eyes at the scene. „I—I guess I'll call you," he eventually continued.

From the corner of his eye he spotted Shiemi getting up from her seat. He glanced toward her, noticing the troubled look she was carrying while walking over to Izumo. They exchanged a couple of words before exited the classroom together.

Rin, following this occurance with his eyes, sprung up from his seat and went after the two girls. The three boys stared after him, each with a different expression, a sigh escaping the lips of the shortest one. Takara didn't seem to care, as usual.

„He sure likes jumping around. He's like a rabbit," Lightning commented in an amused tone.

„ _Ne_?" Amaya responded, throwing her school bag over her shoulder.

* * *

„ _Oy_ , Shiemi!" Rin exclaimed, both girls in the hallway stopping in their tracks and turning to face him.

„...I guess you two want to talk alone," Izumo said, shifting her gaze between the two other teens. It seemed like Shiemi had told her about Rin's confession.

Though the two girls used to not be that close because of Izumo's stubborness, they could be considered friends nowadays.

„Eh, I'm sorry, Izumo-chan," Shiemi apologized rather sincerely.

„It's fine, I'll wait for you," the skinny girl replied, avoiding looking at the other girl. She still felt a little weird about being nice to her, since she only used to be friends with Paku. She walked farther into the hallway, so she wouldn't be in earshot of the two.

As soon as they were alone, it was not Rin to start talking, it was Shiemi.

„J—just so you know, I haven't really come to a conclusion about... _That_..." she stuttered, quickly glancing at the floor and the walls, avoiding eye contact. It was clear the conversation was _already_ making her feel uncomfortable.

„Uh— _no_ , this is not about _that,_ " Rin assured. „It's about the new girl in class." Shiemi looked at him in curiosity.

„What about her..." she spoke slowly and furrowed her brows just the tiniest bit. It seemed like this topic made her uncomfortable as well, though in a different way from the last. She seemed cautious and like she was holding her tongue. This expression was one Rin had never seen on her.

„Let's see..." Rin rubbed the back of his neck in thought. „I don't know how to say it, so I'm just gonna blurt it out. You act weirdly around her."

„Eh—?" Shiemi made a surprised sound, her shoulders tensing. „I—I don't think I do..." she claimed, though from the unsure waver of her voice it was easy tell she was doing her best to lie.

„Really? But then... Why are you avoiding her?" Rin asked, actually somewhat being fooled by her failed act.

„I... Don't..." Shiemi continued, drawing out the words unsurely. Rin couldn't understand why she would respond that way. Was it something she wanted to keep secret? If it was, he really didn't have much idea what it could be. There were few things Shiemi would not tell him, he though. Yet, this she could not spill.

Then a thought popped into Rin's head. It was something he had seen and heard, even _felt_ from time to time. It would make perfect sense. Could it be...

„Could it be... That you're _jealous_?" he asked bluntly, like he was realizing something for the first time.

That caused Shiemi's whole face to go red, first from embarrasment, then from anger. It was the most angry she had felt in a while – it's like that one sentence had set her on flames. Suddenly she wasn't only mad, she was _furious_ at what Rin had implied.

„Okumura Rin! How dare you say something like that to my face! When I'm only being cautious, too!" she exclaimed in anger, startling Rin. „You shouldn't make this about yourself!"

„Uh... So I was wrong?" Rin asked with an empty gaze set at Shiemi. She huffed and tensed before replying.

„Yes, you were wrong! So very wrong!" she confirmed. „Have you not noticed that the precense of Shimizu-san is quite odd? Izumo-chan pointed it out when she first arrived, too! Isn't this kind of a convenient timing for someone like her to be here? And have you not realized how strangely obsessed with you she is?!" she yelled in a manner very uncharacteristic to her.

„Shiemi..." Rin could only mouth her name after her blowing up like that. It was rare to see her like that – it was also rare to see that she wasn't expecting the best of someone. Had their training really hardened her enough to not approach everyone with her famous innocence? Or was she just protective over her friends?

Shiemi took a deep breath, calming herself. As soon as her outburst was over, she felt relieved, but also very embarrased. It was nice to get out what she had to say, but that was not the way it was supposed to happen. She wasn't quite sure why she had gotten so angry all of a sudden.

„I'm sorry, Rin..." she almost stuttered, avoiding looking at the boy. „I'm just worried. After all the things that have happened and are still happening, I'm very worried." She looked up to Rin before turning her back on him, slowly walking down the hallway. Rin could only gaze after her, dumbfounded.

He was still trying to comprehend what had been told to him. Shiemi was worried about the presence of Amaya Shimizu, but she was also worried about her obsession... Over Rin? But Shiemi had said everything wasn't about him – wasn't that sort of going against that?

He rubbed his head as it was starting to hurt. He had come to learn that friendships were a difficult thing to handle correctly.

.

.

.

After Rin had hurried into the hallway, some of the other students were still packing their things. Lightning was still behind the teacher's desk, looking at something out of the field of vision of his students.

Shima was the one to break the short silence that had occurred.

„That Rin really knows how to cause a ruckus, am I right?" he chuckled as he threw his bag over his shoulder.

„Okumura-kun is infamous for that," Konekomaru confirmed with a small smile on his lips.

„So I've heard~~" the only female left in the room, Amaya Shimizu, chirped from her desk. She hadn't moved since Rin had left the classroom, causing the others to think she might've had some kind of a motive for that. „It's surprising he can make even dealing with the simplest of people difficult."

„Are you talking about Moriyama-san?" Bon asked in a slightly agitated tone. „You'd better not talk down on anyone in this class."

„Oh no~~ That was not my intention. I apologise," she pleaded as soon as her words had been countered. „Simple can also be a compliment, you see. Snow is very simple, yet very pretty, right? And when you eat it, your body receives water. That's how you can survive if you're stranded in the winter~" she explained.

„I think you could've found a better way to say that," Shima commented. „Though anything coming out of your pretty mouth is forgiven~" he hummed, his tone completely changed.

„Shima-kun..." Konekomaru sighed his name before he and Bon slowly drifted toward the classroom door.

„However, snow also causes a lot of problems..." Amaya suddenly continued, turning toward the two boys. „With snow comes ice, and with ice come a lot of accidents. Not to mention a lot of snow can cause people to get snowed in in buildings, unable to get food from the outside."

„Your point?" Bon asked rather simply, unsure of what the girl was hinting at.

„There really isn't one. I just don't like looking at things from only one angle," she replied calmly, crossing her legs as she sat down on her desk.

„Bon, we need to go," Konekomaru interrupted the staring contest between the two students. Bon directed his attention at the shorter boy before leading both of them outside the classroom.

Takara, who had been quietly sitting at the back of the classroom and observing the situation, stood up and walked past the girl at the front. As he was passing her, he quickly looked at her from the corner of his eye. Then he exited after the two other boys.

„Wah~ It's just you and me now," Shima declared happily.

„And him," Amaya pointed out as she quickly glanced toward their teacher, who still seemed focused on something. It looked important, but the two students had no way of knowing if it was.

„Minor details~~" Shima purred, unclear if he unintentionally or intentionally referred to one of the most powerful exorcists in the current hierarcy as a _minor detail_.

„So~~ I guess you have something on your mind. Should I be worried~?" the female questioned playfully, brushing a few curls over her shoulder.

„If numbers are scary for you then yes~ Because I would like to have yours," Shima replied smoothly as he quickly strided over to the girl, offering her his phone.

„Hmm?" she hummed in suspicion, though a smile was still present on her red lips. „You're one who isn't particularly afraid of rejection, eh?" she said in a way that made it seem like she was thinking out loud.

„A soldier is afraid of attending a battle, but they still pull through for the greater cause~" Shima slurred. Amaya almost couldn't believe that he had compared his flirting attempts to a soldier fighting for their country.

„Fine, fine, you win," she replied before grabbing the device and very easily typing in her number. It was surprising she managed to do it so smoothly with her long fingernails, Shima noted. „Now go away~ I didn't stay in the classroom for you."

"You're breaking my heart, Amaya-chan," Shima responded in disappointment, but complied. He walked past her, slowing down before he could reach the door.

In that moment, they shared a look. The female's sharp eyes detected something in this boy's own – a hint of rebellion, a hint of betrayal. Just a hint, but it was there, covered by his carefree smile and flirty attitude. The look between them was broken when the boy finally left the classroom, leaving Amaya with one simple thought:

 _He knows._ She had realized that the boy was not as simple-minded as he seemed. For once, she had underestimated a person's intentions. That in itself was impressive enough.

Soon she was ripped from her thoughts when she heard a subtle rustle of a paper, turning her attention to the last person in the classroom besides her. She grinned and jumped up from her desk, slowly making her way to the teacher's desk and leaning her elbows against it.

"So, _Lewin Light_ -san, how is it~?"

.

.

.

It was already getting late and the sun was setting. The buildings were becoming black, only to be coloured by the street lights that looked like bright stars in the infinite darkness of space. It was calm and the wind was only blowing on the highest of rooftops, swaying the tree tops like a young mother would a baby's cradle.

It was that kind of darkness that could be seen in Assiah only at night. The kind of darkness that forever ruled over the mirror image of it, Gehenna. The kind of darkness where threatening figures ran rampant over the town, some more scary than others, and some much more subtle and mischievous.

One such figure was standing on top of the roof of True Cross Academy, looking over the pitch black city that was crowded by low level demons. His golden eyes glowed, separating him from the black backround.

"You can't exit the school premises either, huh?" came a soft voice from nearby, causing the expressionless demon to look toward it from the corner of his eye. He had noticed this person approaching him, but had not given it much thought.

"The protection spells your brother has placed around the school are too powerful to pass~" the female voice continued. Her dark figure stood still for a long time, since the male did not respond to her, and eventually she sat down onto the roof.

"Aniue knew it from the moment he let me inside them. I can't leave without his help, not without an infinity key," the dark figure of Amaimon finally spoke, though in a monotone that was impossible to read. "I don't know what he still wants with me. I'd rather go explore somewhere than be stuck in here."

"Whatever it is, it must have something to do with the Okumura twins. Everything does," the female, who was currently disguised as a student of True Cross Academy, Amaya Shimizu, responded rather calmly.

"Okumura twins? You mean Okumura Rin. He's the one with Father's flames," Amaimon replied in a way that would implicate surprise if it weren't for his lack of tone.

"Who knows, really~" the female responded in an underwhelming manner.

"Has Aniue told you something?" Amaimon seemed to have realized as his whole body slightly shifted. He even made eye contact with the female accompanying him.

"Only bits and pieces. Even I can't tell what it is he's planning," she replied with a soft shrug of her shoulders. "I wasn't aware you were interested."

"At first I wasn't," Amaimon replied shortly, gazing upon the town before them once more. "Humans are nothing but weak little creatures easily crushed by the smallest of earthquakes. There was never any point for Aniue to throw himself amongst them."

The choice of words indicated that this was the emotional side of Amaimon. Even through his emotionless expression and tone he seemed confused and on top of that, angry. It wasn't a rare emotion when it came to Amaimon, or even demons in general.

The female hummed curiously.

"I assume you haven't noticed how much the King of Time actually reminds a human, have you?" she inquired. That sentence in itself felt like an offence to Amaimon, but for now he swallowed his rage to hear what she had to say. "Us demons often work with nothing but our strenght, but humans are different that way~ They rely on their _minds_ , similarly to your older brother. I assume that is the reason he finds entertainment in them."

When he considered it, it did make sense to Amaimon. As rude as it was for the female to so boldly state that his brother was anything like the creatures he despised, he wasn't incapable of understanding her point. As much as he seemed like it sometimes, Amaimon wasn't stupid – his views simply differed from the humans'.

"That doesn't change anything," Amaimon argued in his monotone voice, not even looking at the other demon.

"What is there to be changed~?" the female asked in amused curiosity as she leaned back slightly, looking up toward the demon in ripped clothes.

"I still want to kill Okumura Rin," Amaimon stated steadily. "And now, _you._ "

Even though she had received a death glare from this demon before, it was only now that she felt actual chills go up her spine. Every time she overstepped her boundaries, she was reminded of it in a subtle, yet terrifying way. Maybe the subtleness of it was what made her so scared in the first place.

However, in this subtle terror she only found irony – irony and amusement. Maybe it was her fear that made her amused, but whatever it was, it always caused her only new problems. In this moment of weakness of her, she made a mistake – _she laughed_.

Before she could take another breath, she suddenly felt a grip around her neck. A firm grip that was tightening, a grip that picked her up and held her in the air, blocking the air from entering her lungs as it did. She gasped for oxygen, her hands taking a hold of the one around her neck.

" _Nh_ ," she made a desperate sound. In a blink of an eye Amaimon had closed the distance between the two, grabbing her by her throat and holding her up, emotionless eyes staring up at her. Meanwhile she was struggling to even keep her eyes open.

The longer Amaimon held her, the more he felt the need to actually _end_ her. Not only had this female disgraced his brother, but also him. Not since that pink haired boy had anyone weaker than him _dared_ to mock him with such a thing as laughter. He did not intend to stand by and allow it to happen. He tightened his grip, hearing something break within her neck – surely if it wasn't a demon he was holding would his victim soon be dead.

Contrary to belief, however, when he held this demon tighter, his grip did not become stonger – actually, the longer he held her, the more he realized that it was getting harder to stand. For a moment he fought it, the feeling of weakness, but it wasn't going away. And in time, he had no choice but to release his grip.

The female dropped onto the roof with a loud clanking of the roof materials. For a moment her human host seemed lifeless, but as soon as the bruises and inner damage done to her throat started healing, her lungs were filled with air and she gasped it desperately.

Amaimon stumbled a step back, the weak feeling slowly retracting from his body. He stared at the hand that had held the female just moments ago, disbelief actually visible in his usual pokerface. He might not have even noticed that the expression was there.

"So this is what it does..." he spoke to himself in shock, quickly glancing down at the female who was also regaining her strenght. His heart was inside her, and this was how it affected the both of them. His heart was still linked to his health and powers, but now it was also linked to _her_ – his human host and even his _life_ were in the hands of this demon weaker than himself.

After the shock had worn off, what he felt was anger. Anger in it's purest form. He was ready to destroy, he was ready to kill. He was so angry, yet he had nothing to unload it to. This almost unreasonably strong anger and his logic were battling each other, soon joined by a third factor: Fear.

He had to admit, he was afraid. He was afraid to leave his heart so unguarded with this female, he was afraid of what his brother would do if he were to act out in his anger. Of course Mephisto just had to play crazy alchemist with his most vital part. Not that it came to him as such a surprise. He was often unsure of whether his life mattered to that person at all – it mostly likely didn't.

In his confusion, in his anger and most importantly, in his fear, Amaimon slowly backed away from the girl still recovering from his attack. He backed away until he reached the edge of the roof, jumping down into the darkness and becoming one of the many shadows of the night.

* * *

 **Sorry it's been a while. I hope Lightning isn't too OOC, the guy's still a mystery to me... Anyway, reviews, anyone?**


	6. Chapter 6 - A Weapon Sharpened

Chapter 6 – A Weapon Sharpened

Amaya was leaning against the teacher's table with her elbows, smiling menacingly.

"How is it?" the person behind the table, Lightning, repeated what she had just asked. "Ah... Well, the plot is quite dull, but the art is worth looking at."

"...Eh?"

The response of the man had left the demon dumbfounded for the moment. Her smile was replaced by a blank expression.

"The artist is quite young, so I can forgive the lack of comedy... She just hasn't learnt to balance it out yet. I'm sure her future works will be better," Lightning continued as if nothing had changed. Amaya held her passive stare as she peeked over the table to see what the man had been looking at.

"A shounen manga..." she said in a slightly disappointed tone. A sigh left her lips as she twirled around and sat on his desk, throwing one leg calmly over the other. "Why is everyone I meet in this academy such an otaku? You disappoint me with your lack for dramaticness."

Lightning only smiled the same unreadable smile he always did, putting the manga book away to talk to the female.

"So, what is troubling you? Demon or not, you're still a student in need of guidance... Right?" he questioned playfully, clearly recognizing a game that was about to start. Amaya copied his smile.

"Guidance? Why yes~~ I hear you carry the answers to my troubles, _sensei_ ," she responded.

"Ah! I do? How can I help you, Shimizu-san?" Lightning questioned, still fully unreadable. Even if he was attending the game, no one would've realized it without better knowledge.

"Lately I haven't been feeling very welcome in the classroom..."

"Oh? Do you have problems with your fellow students?" the teacher questioned, leaning against his folded hands. The 'student' immediately shook her head.

"Mmh, no, the problem does not lie with them. Actually, it's about sensei..." she told worriedly, twirling a curl of hair around her index finger.

"What? Me?" the male replied like he was shocked. "I never meant to make you feel unwelcomed."

"It's hard to believe that... Since I can't make out your opinion about me~" she pouted.

"Oooh... It's that. But my dear Shimizu-san, you wouldn't want the other students to think I favored you over them, would y-"

Before Lightning could finish his sentence, something had been struck against the table with force that would've been strong for a human. But since it was not a human who had struck it, this force should be considered holding back.

The man's gaze slowly slid down to the table, where Amaya's hand was still around the hilt of a detailed knife seemingly pulled out of thin air. Her fingers slowly unwrapped one by one, until she only touched the knife with her index finder.

"Sensei _must_ understand how worried I am," she said innocently, her dark green eyes large and staring at the unshaken man. The smile that had disappeared for the tiniest moment soon returned and he leaned his chin on one hand.

"You know that in this situation I really should report to Vatican. You must know that the reason they... Um... The word _trust_ wouldn't be correct here, no... The reason Vatican _puts up with_ Samael is because they have a long history together. You have nothing but his word to prove you can be trusted, not even that, if we're being specific."

"So that's it?" the girl asked in frustration, though it didn't show in her tone as much as she had thought. She took a deep breath and finally let go of the knife completely, turning around and heading toward the door. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

Before Amaya could reach the door, she was stopped by the fact that Lightning wasn't done talking.

"However, if I saw this as a minor incident completely under control, I suppose I could put away reporting it until it was necessary," he said calmly, turning to look at the demon who seemed surprised.

"...If you're testing your strenght in this way, I must say it's quite the foolish risk to take."

"Ah, if you simply hadn't said that, things would've been so much simpler. You _are_ up to no-good after all, aren't you?"

After that had been said, the lights in the classroom blinked until they turned off completely. The room became completely dark, only a pair of demonic eyes lighting up in the darkness, staring straight at Lightning. When the lights finally turned back on, there was no trace of the female who had stood there just moments before.

"I see she likes dramatic exits," Lightning mumbled to himself as he started gathering his things to leave the classroom.

.

.

.

For a few days now, something had been bothering both Izumo and Rin. Though mostly Izumo.

For one of them it was a problem with getting all too much attention, and for the other, it was the exact opposite. Since Amaya Shimizu had been placed in the same classroom with the two teens, she had taken a keen interest on Rin. To be specific, Rin's demonic side. However, lately that curiosity had shifted onto another student.

Like Shiemi's attention hadn't been enough, the twintails was now being bothered by the ever-lively new girl. Honestly, she hadn't liked her from the beginning, but now her anger toward that girl had only increased. Increased so much, that-

"WILL YOU PLEASE LAY OFF?"

-her hissy fits interrupted some of the classes.

She quickly became silent and sat down, her face red from embarrasment.

"Kamiki-san... If you would please have your outbursts outside the classroom, I would be very pleased," Yukio said in a tone that was as collected as ever, even if he had been on edge for quite a while now. "And Shimizu-san, please return to your original seat."

"I'm sorry, Okumura-sensei~" she apologized as she moved back behind Rin, abandoning the now empty seat next to Izumo.

"Now to continue our lesson..."

As Yukio was talking, some looks were exchanged among the students.

* * *

"But Izumo-chaaan~~!"

Though the tone was insufferably sweet and could only be imagined coming out of one particular mouth in the classroom, this time it was not Shima who was harassing the young summoner.

"I already told you _NO_ ," the girl in question retorted in anger as she exited the classroom with her harrasser not far behind.

"But Izumo-chan seems like such an interesting girl, and all I wanna do is spend time with you~~" Amaya cried as she latched onto the girl's arm with a pleading expression.

"NO! And stop calling me 'Izumo-chan!' We're not close! Why is it so difficult to understand?!"

Not unlike Shiemi some time ago, this person relentlessly wanted to be friends with Izumo. But unlike Shiemi, her methods could be forceful and almost violent. Though the blonde and Izumo had in time become friends, she saw it as unlikely that she could ever get along with this new girl.

Unknown to Izumo, the girl seemed to understand that this was the exact way to get what she wanted.

* * *

 _It's lucky I finally managed to shake off that weirdo_ , Izumo thought. _Paku should be waiting for me right behind this corner._ Before she knew it, there was a smile on her face as she fastened her pace enough to soon reach the corner of the building.

Since Izumo had been studying so hard lately, Paku had suggested the two girls go shopping to let off some steam. There was no protest coming from the dark-haired girl, for it had been far too long since the last time she tried to relax. She really, truly needed this.

The golden sun showered her in it's light and warmth, making the old tarmac glitter with dust. Her hair twisted in the wind as she turned the corner to meet her friend. When she saw her, her pace slowed a little as her smile got wider.

"Paakuuu," she called out and waved, quickly getting the attention of her friend, only to see that she was not alone. "Huh?" she made a sound as she stopped a few meters away from the brunette and another girl standing next to her. "W... What is _SHE_ doing here?!" she asked angrily when the situation became clear for her.

"Hmm? You know each other?" Paku asked in surprise, though a smile was present on her face.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you I'm in the same cram class with her," the purple-haired girl informed to Paku with a warm smile Izumo didn't know she was capable of.

"Aah, so you're _that_ Shimizu-san. I should've put two and two together."

"Paku? What's going on here?" Izumo asked, clearly with no patience at hand, her posture and expression sending distress signals. The student she knew from cram class wasn't in her school uniform, but a pair of denim shorts and a purple top to match her hair.

 _At least she can't hide a tail in there_. The thought crossed Izumo's mind.

"Me and Shimizu-san ran into each other inside that cafe. We ordered the same coffee and since we were both alone, we started talking," Paku explained calmly, knowing the nature of her friend. "What a coincidence that you two already know each other, right?"

A coincidence, that's what it seemed like, sure. But Izumo felt this coincidence to be far too well-timed for Amaya. She didn't know if that's what it was, but it felt like a warning to her. A warning that she should be afraid of.

"N... No way are we going shopping with her," she said a bit unsurely, trying to keep her standing in the matter.

"Why is Izumo-chan still so rude to me?" Amaya asked, hurt, puckering up her lips.

"Don't worry, she's like this to everyone," Paku said, smiling, starting to walk when the other girl nudged her forward.

"Is that so~~? Is there anything else I should know about her?" she asked cheerily, the momentary disappointment soon forgotten.

Izumo was left slightly behind by the two other girls, resisting swallowing in Amaya's presence. She seemed to be far too many steps ahead of the game, causing the summoner to wonder what it was exactly that she was after. All she knew was that whatever it was, it couldn't be good for anyone.

 _Even if she doesn't look like one... In a way, that person is definitely a demon._

.

.

.

"Love, huh?" Shiemi mumbled to herself as she walked through a park in one of her traditional kimonos. Though the sky was a beautiful sapphire blue and the plants were all a healthy green, her eyes had not left the road since she left home.

About a week ago, Rin had told her that he had feelings for her, feelings that were more than just friendly. She had been so shaken by this confession, she wasn't sure what to think at the moment. She had asked for more time, but after seeing how heartbroken Rin was, she wasn't sure if that was the answer she should've given.

She had always thought of those sorts of feelings as something very abstract, something far away in the future, when she was ready to commit. She was still in high school, an age she thought was far too early to fall in love. Maybe not for others, but for her, surely.

She thought it would be easy – she didn't want to fall in love until she was older, so she wouldn't. But... Shiemi wasn't sure if she even knew what love felt like. Maybe she had felt it without even knowing?

But returning to the previous subject, she hadn't considered that someone would ever be so infatuated with her current self that it could be called something like _love._ It was downright bizzare for her. But even if it was so, she knew for a fact that someone had those kinds of feelings for her, and she had no idea how to turn down something so strong and pure.

"Aren't you overreacting a little bit?"

A familiar male voice distracted Shiemi from her train of thought, and her emerald eyes sprung from the ground and to the conversation held nearby.

"OVERREACTING? Really, is that what you think? Such a thing couldn't have been an accident!"

It was an unlikely pair that she saw. Izumo was there in her casual clothes and a school bag, holding one of the books in her hand – apparently she decided to come to the park to study. Her conversation partner was a bit surprising.

"It certainly seems like one. I know I can be hotheaded at times, but when it comes to you, you seem to make twice the trouble!" Bon exclaimed as a response and folded his muscular arms. The tall boy was in his running clothes, covered in sweat from the exercise.

"Hey, it's Shiemi," Izumo said when she finally noticed the precense of the third person, alerting Bon to it as well.

"Oh, Moriyama-san. What are you doing out here?"

"Ah, I'm just heading to the store to get some things for my mother," she said, clearly apologetic about interrupting the two. "Izumo-chan, you seem upset," Shiemi pointed out as she stepped a bit closer to them, ignoring the smell of sweat coming from Bon's direction. She was used to bad smells, since she spent a lot of time in a garden. Izumo's reaction to it was much more obvious.

"...That's because I _am_ upset. He thinks that I'm being paranoid," Izumo spat and crossed her arms.

"I'm sure that's not true! Right, Suguro-kun?"

"Well..." Bon felt a bit awkward defending his opinion to this pair. "It's not as if I don't find Shimizu-san to be a bit... Strange, but it's hard to find a person who _isn't_ strange in our classroom. I'm sure you just have an overactive imagination, Izumo."

"Again with that shit! You know that she's up to something!" Izumo hissed. "Why else would she have run into Paku by "accident?" You don't seriously believe that, do you?!"

"Huh?"

Shiemi had been wary of the new student since the very beginning, but she was surprised to know it wasn't only her that was. Surprised? Why was she so surprised? Was there a definite reason why only _she_ should've been unsure about-

She quickly shook her head and got rid of the thought altogether. Of course someone else besides her would notice something was terribly wrong.

"Are you feeling alright, Moriyama-san? You're spacing out," Bon pointed out.

"Oh, eh, I'm fine, I'm fine – I just thought I forgot to take my purse with me. But I didn't," she assured as she placed a hand over the purse hanging from her clothes.

"Honestly... You should find something else to dress in than kimonos. It's getting a little tiring." As usual, Izumo didn't hesitate to speak her mind.

"Oh, do you think so?" Shiemi seemed taken aback for a moment. "But I like kimonos."

"Why can't you two pick a topic and stay on it?" Bon growled in irritation.

"Why can't you stop being a bonehead and listen for once?" Izumo countered. Soon the both of them were barking at each other like two wild dogs. A drop of sweat slid down Shiemi's forehead.

.

.

.

It was late, but Yukio still hadn't returned from work. Rin was roaming the hallways of the old dormitory, quite bored but unwilling to go outside. He needed to get some more homework done, but it really didn't seem all that inviting. Exiting the building would've meant he would abandon the tasks completely.

 _"Rin, why are we just walking around? I need to be fed."_

"Oh, sorry, Kuro. Is your bowl in the kitchen?"

 _"Don't you remember taking it to your room? Lately you've been forgetting a lot,"_ Kuro pointed out sharply as he jogged behind Rin. Both of their tails softly swayed from side to side as they entered Rin's dorm room.

"I just have a lot on my mind," Rin argued as he looked for the food bowl. Suddenly he jumped when Kuro started hissing at something in the room. He turned around to see what it was, only to be surprised.

It was crazy how he hadn't sensed or noticed anything before, but Amaya was laying on his bed, on her stomach, flipping through one of Yukio's mangas. Rin swallowed as his eyes went to the disheveled clothes of the female.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" he asked angrily, though his tone wasn't fully convincing. He was momentarily shaken when the girl suddenly slammed the manga closed and started talking.

"You are a coin."

"...Huh?!"

Amaya stretched and got up into a sitting position, staring intently at Rin as the light in the room blinked a few times.

"Like any coin, you have two sides. Whenever you are flipped, one of the sides ends up on top – which one, however, is left up to chance."

"What are you talking about? When did you even get here?" Rin chose to ignore the crazy metaphor she was trying to get across.

"To control the end result, a coin must be made into a fake coin with a weight on one side. That way you can win any bet."

"But won't the coin only land on one side?" Rin asked. Though completely lost in the analogy, he actually put out an intelligent question without knowing it. Amaya only giggled at first.

"I think what the humans are doing to you is completely wrong. Sure, they understand the human side of you, but they can never understand the other one, the poweful one. Exorcising demons isn't the same as being one."

"What's your point here? You're being really weird." Rin was starting to really get annoyed by the confusing speech.

 _"Rin, I don't like this at all."_

"You don't have a demon teaching you how to be a demon," Amaya stated coldly, finally standing up from the bed and stepping a bit closer to Rin, causing him to back away.

"Have you forgotten about Mephisto?" Rin asked with his eyebrows raised.

"He doesn't have time for you."

"Why do you think that?"

"Who do you think hired me?"

...

"Does he pay you more than 5000 yen a month?" Rin asked the first question that came to his mind.

Giggling, she responded:

"Oh, I don't get paid by money."

"I knew it! He is a penny-pincher after all!" Rin cursed. Before the conversation would get out of hand, Rin noticed he was suddenly being pushed against the wall by one arm. Amaya's grip was strong, stronger than any human's should've been.

 _"Rin, I am a demon."_ Staring intently in his eyes, Amaya said this by telepathy, the room darkening. It was apparent only then that her pupils were slitted, hiding in the glow of her eyes.

After that it had become completely silent in the room. All three demons stood there, each with a bunch of thoughts running through their heads.

Rin was the first one to make a move.

Quickly, he had pushed Amaya away from himself and grabbed Kurikara from its case. He was soon covered by blue flames as he swung the sword toward the female. However, before Rin could even finish the swing, she had completely disappeared into the darkness that was only illuminated by Rin's flames.

 _He he he._

 _Did you think making it dark was my only trick?_

 _Did you think it was my only trick?_

 _Do I seem like the kind of person to come unprepared?_

 _I can teach you._

 _I can help you._

 _That's what I'm here for..._

A whispering voice was talking to him, but it was unknown where the voice was coming from. It all happened so fast, his head was starting to hurt. As he was sending the uncoordinated swing toward the disappeared demon, he had wrecked Yukio's table. He fell to his knees as it crumbled onto the ground, holding his head as the words spoken inside it were starting to physically hurt.

"AAAAaaahhh!" he let out a violent scream as the tricks of the female demon were getting to him.

 _"Rin!"_

Like the light switch had suddenly been pressed, the room was lit again when the dorm room's door opened and a worried face popped inside.

"Rin! What's wrong?" the worried Yukio asked as he kneeled next to his brother and looked around the room. "What happened here?" His eyes finally reached the girl sitting on Rin's bed with a terrified look on her face. "Shimizu-san?"

"He... He just suddenly freaked out. I was here to bring one of his notebooks, s-since I've been helping with his studies... I don't know what happened," she said. The girl seemed sincerely scared. "I should leave..."

The door made a loud noise as the third person in the room left without even a goodbye. Yukio turned back to his brother, who was quickly losing conciousness. He was only distracted by Kuro's distressed meowing, which he assumed was worry for Rin as well.

He stood up and put away Kurikara, causing Rin's flames and demonic form to pull back. Then he dragged his twin on his bed, letting out a sigh when Kuro laid down on his stomach.

"Please watch him for the time being. I'll be right back."

After saying that, he also rushed out of the room, after the girl who had left such a mess behind.

* * *

"Wait, Shimizu-san!"

When he caught her, they were almost out of the dormitory.

"I-I'm sorry, Okumura-sens- eh, _Yukio_ , right? I was just so startled... I really don't know what happened," she stuttered, her back still turned to Yukio.

"Could you at least tell me what you saw? I'm obviously worried about my brother."

"Oh, of course, but... Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?"

What the girl had said caused the freckled boy to take a step back and raise his eyebrows. What was she talking about?

"I don't believe I completely understand your meaning, Shimizu-san." He masked his worry in the formal words that came to him all too easily these days.

"We both know you shouldn't stress yourself more with the secret you're carrying," the girl said, looking at Yukio over her shoulder. Cold shivers ran up his spine, but he didn't let it show on the outside. "Good night, Yukio."

The girl stepped outside, leaving Yukio with a simple thought, with a single name that came to mind when those words were spoken. _Shima_.

* * *

 **Sorry I've been absent for a while, I haven't had enough inspiration. I don't know why though, since when I really got to writing this chapter, I enjoyed it.**

 **Please drop a review if you have time.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Shattering Glass

Chapter 7 – Shattering Glass

There are people, who are much more emotional than the average person.

These people divide into multiple groups, multiple sections, which are defined by their differing circumstances. Eventually, they even divide into _individuals_. Most people only consider those most visible of emotional people to be the only ones that exist. After all, they gather most of the attention.

But there is also another common form of an emotional person. An emotional person, who has concealed all their feelings deep within due to a differing variable. Those people are often quiet and composed, but when agitated enough, can be surprisingly dangerous.

This was the case for Yukio Okumura.

Since his very childhood, Yukio had depended on his older twin, Rin. Receiving a mashou from him as an infant, he had always been able to see demons. Mostly because of that, he was a crybaby for his early childhood.

When the true circumstances that Yukio was under were revealed to him, slowly, and he was being trained to become an exorcist... Instead of letting go of those feelings, instead of working through them, they had piled up. Every single bad thought and stressful event affected him more than it should've.

Of course, no one would see under his ever unchanging composure. Not even Rin, being arguably the closest one to him, could always detect that his twin's emotions were unstable. And due to this, the smallest of events could spill the bucket of emotions.

Lately, Yukio had been under more stress than even regularly. For several months now, he had been nervous not only about his brother, but of the events of the Illuminati and other changing parties. But when he realized the unknown power in his eye, his breaking point became ever so much closer.

* * *

Yukio placed down his supplies onto the teacher's desk, a neutral expression on his features as he started calling names.

"Kamiki-san?" he asked, barely glancing up from the paper he was marking their attendance on.

"Here..." the girl replied in a bored manner.

"Miwa-san?"

"Here."

This continued for a short while, until everyone's attendance had been affirmed. Then Yukio put away the paper and looked up at the class.

"Then, open up your books on page 157..." he told calmly, even managing a smile. However, even if he taught the lesson as usual, with the usual people in his class and with the usual material, his thoughts were completely elsewhere.

 _She hasn't said anything since, but there is no doubt... Shimizu-san is aware of my eye._ He turned to write something on the board, continuing his lesson absent mindedly. _My first immediate thought was that it was Shima-san, who told her... But..._

Some time earlier, Yukio had considered confronting Mephisto about the 'leaked' information. But he had a feeling that even if he had, and if – _which was most likely_ – the Japanese Branch Leader knew of his power, it was likely that the demon would've avoided the question. He was at a dead end, unless...

"Shima-san, I need to see you after class."

.

.

.

After class, once again, Rin was trying to chase after Amaya. This had been happening for a few days now, ever since he had 'lost control' of his powers in his dorm room. It was quite peculiar, at least in Yukio's opinion. Rin would make no attempt at bothering the class, not even glance toward Amaya.

Amaya, in return, would also not pay much attention to Rin. However, after every single class, Rin attempted chasing after the girl who had been the first to leave the classroom. And every single time he seemed to lose her at some point. They hadn't spoken since that time, barely a hello had been heard from either.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

Shima's voice distracted Yukio from his thoughts. He blinked and looked around, realizing that everyone else had now left the classroom. The classroom door closed with an audible creak and a thud.

"Yes, I did..." he began, still slightly absent minded as he adjusted the position of his glasses. "Shima-san, have you spoken to Shimizu-san lately?"

The question was quite simple, but still seemed to surprise the boy with the pink hair.

"Oh, I was sure you were gonna talk to me about the Illuminati or something..." he admitted a bit taken aback. "What about Amaya-chan~?" As expected, Shima had quickly adapted a familiar way of addressing the girl.

Something like that question seemed to stir the almost overflowing bucket of emotions.

"It's no doubt that it was the chairman's doing that she's in this classroom, though I do not yet understand why..." Yukio muttered the last part. "And I doubt you've yet to realize that." His tone was a bit tight, like he was clearly trying to hold back.

"And even if I have, what's the big fuss? I mean, clearly Amaya-chan isn't one hundred percent normal..." Shima chatted him up casually, even shrugging as he responded. "And no, I haven't spoken to her that much. She seems to be avoiding me... Or maybe she's avoiding Okumura-kun... Anyhow, that's how it is."

Yukio clenched his teeth. He could not run into a dead end here, too.

"YOU'RE LYING!" he suddenly exclaimed, both hands pounding against the teacher's desk.

And so, a single drop of his emotions overflowed, running down the outer edge of the bucket.

* * *

Outside the classroom, a girl in her school uniform was leaning against the outer side of its sound proof wall. Her purple curls flowed down to her shoulders, as her hair was open for a change.

" _Okumura-sensei.._."

" _Excuse me, I lost my composure._ "

With that, footsteps neared the door that was next to the girl. When it opened, and Yukio stepped into the hallway, the girl was already gone.

.

.

.

"...And then he just left the classroom."

After explaining this, Amaya leaned deep back into the sofa she was on, glancing at Mephisto with an innocent expression. The latter was sitting behind his desk, slightly annoyed by what he had heard.

"As usual, the pieces you're trying to collect keep on falling through the bottomles cup you're putting them in..." the man muttered before looking toward the carefree female. She was lying down on one of the sofas in his office, staring at the ceiling quite expressionlessly.

"Haha, who says anything is falling out... I just thought I should tell you," the girl responded before sitting up and actually facing Mephisto.

"You're carelessly doing whatever it is you favor, even though I have given you the privilege of entering my academy," the man complained in a slightly whiny tone. This could be interpreted as intentional exaggeration. "I must say I'm disappointed."

"Oh, please, it's not like I've done something irreversible~" Amaya sang as she leaned her arms over the back of the sofa, facing the backside of it as she sat on it.

"You know I encourage your little games, as long as they don't intertwine with mine..." the chairman scolded, but with a softer tone than one would expect. The girl only hummed. "Anyhow, your school day is over, as is my work for today... What do you say we play a video game~? It's been a while since I had someone to play against~~" The inner otaku of Mephisto was taking over, and that might've been part of the reason why Amaya wasn't scolded all that harshly.

"..."

They both had been aware of the nearing presence, and soon the office had a third occupant. He had entered silently, and was now standing behind Mephisto's chair. The window he had entered through was still open.

"Ah, Amaimon, you finally decide to honor us with your precence~" Mephisto sang as he twirled around in his chair, facing his younger brother. The green haired Demon King only stared as a response.

Since Mephisto had taken away his infinity key, he had nowhere to go. It was only a matter of time before he needed to face the King of Time again.

"Woaaaah, it's so rare to see you around~!" Amaya chirped. Amaimon was aware he had willingly entered a room with two overly cheerful people, but didn't care all that much.

"Aniue, will you give me an infinity key?" he asked in a deadpan tone. This was the only thing he had spoken so far.

"No~~" Mephisto replied simply, pointing a denying, gloved finger at Amaimon. The younger demon seemed to be thinking it over before he spoke again.

"Will you return me my heart?"

"That is a no~~" Mephisto replied again.

Again, the younger demon seemed to be thinking. Then, he walked to the group of chairs and sofas in utter silence, choosing one to sit on. His expression was still unchanging.

"Haa, I see you're depressed~" Though Amaimon showed no signs of this, it was the conclusion Mephisto had come to. "But Amaimon, I can't let you go~ Not right now. You hold too much information that is dear to me... But you know, I think you've gotten stronger since your last fight with Rin."

Amaimon barely glanced at his brother.

"It was an unfair fight~ Rin has an advantage, since his body is from Assiah," Amaya cut in.

Amaimon's golden eyes stayed on Amaya for a second, a flash of anger showing in them. Then he looked at Mephisto again.

"Aniue, how much of your plans do you reveal to her?" he asked with seething anger that he was poorly trying to mask.

"You know of her, Amaimon~ And you know her price as well~" Mephisto simply shrugged. That left the younger demon unsatisfied, but what could he do to argue?

"Ah!" Amaya exclaimed as if she had realized something. She turned fully toward Amaimon, the sunlight entering through the office window now hugging her back. She flicked her wrist slightly, and as soon as she did, a bag of colorful candies was in her hand. "I heard you like this sort of thing, like your brother does."

She threw the bag toward Amaimon, who caught it with no effort whatsoever. His eyes shifted to the bag, and he stared at it for several seconds before ripping it open.

"Aniue... I don't know why you're doing what you're doing, but I want to leave soon." Amaimon said this still in a lifeless tone, throwing a handful of candy into his mouth as soon as he was done. Amaya could only lean toward the back of the sofa and smile wryly.

.

.

.

Over the course of what had gone by in his first year in True Cross Academy so far, Rin had formed close bonds with some of his cramschool mates. That's why it had become difficult to not include them into a decision, and it was even harder to keep a secret from them.

Since the day Amaya had visited his dorm room, he had been keeping his distance to everyone. Of course, they had noticed this, but Rin felt he had no choice. He wouldn't speak in the classroom unless Yukio or the other teachers made him to.

Every day after class, Amaya was clearly trying to get away from him. He didn't care, he chased her anyway... Only to lose her at a random corner or when he got distracted for a few seconds. He wasn't exactly sure why she was avoiding him so much, and that made him want to catch her even more.

Today, he was fully prepared. He had packed everything ready, and was counting the seconds until they would be let out from their final lesson of the day. And when that moment came, and he noticed Amaya leaving her seat, he immediately bolted up and reached for her arm.

"Hey, wait...!" he had missed, as the girl had dodged him far too easily. She smiled before leaving the classroom.

The smug expression annoyed Rin, and he chased her into the hallway.

"Hey, Amaya!" he exclaimed a little louder as he ran after her. The other classmates could only sigh and wonder why the routine had turned upside down.

After chasing her outside, this time without once losing sight of her, Rin finally caught up. He grabbed her arm and she came into a full stop, Rin almost running into her back.

"Hahaha... You finally caught me~" the girl sang happily as she twirled around, smiling. There were barely any other students around the grassy area they were in, and that worked well for Rin. "Sorry for running away so much~ I knew you needed time to process everything."

Rin was immediately annoyed.

"Since when do you get to decide how long I need to process something?!" he exclaimed in annoyance, attracting the gazes of the few students who _were_ close by. After noticing this, he sighed, trying to calm down.

"Well, Rin... Why is it that you wanted to catch me so bad?" Amaya asked, still smiling, and annoyingly confident. Rin sighed again, this time a lot deeper, and then put on a serious expression.

"I think you're right."

"Oh, please, let me hear that again~ I so liked the sound of it~" the girl cheered.

"Seriously, stop being annoying! Fuck, you're like the second most annoying person I've ever met... No, maybe third... Fourth?" Rin was counting with his fingers now. "Why is everyone I meet lately such a weirdo?!"

"That's so mean of you~" Amaya cried. "But... You think I'm right. Hmmm. Does that mean you'll allow me to train you, Son of Satan?"

"Look, it's not exactly like that...!" Rin argued, though a little reluctantly. "This, this is a huge decision to make, right? I just thought... Since Yukio said it, that Amaimon and Neuhaus-sensei were probably doing what Mephisto ordered... And you are as well..."

"Hmmm?"

"He has some kind of a plan, okay? I have no idea what or why, and I don't really care. But all I know is, those two guys did make me stronger, and that's what I want, so..." Rin didn't seem hesitant, and that made Amaya even more curious of his mood.

"So you are excepting my help? Yay~!" This was her happy reaction. However, Rin wasn't done talking.

"That's not all!" he claimed loudly. "I don't really trust you, especially since you started using those weird demonic tricks of yours. So... I wanna know my teacher!"

"...Hmm?"

The students nearby had quickly lost their interest toward Rin and Ayame, and were scattering from the scene. After that, the silence between the two people deepened.

* * *

 **Ah, sorry, this chapter is a shorter one! To be honest, I just didn't feel like writing a longer chapter, and that's why the (somewhat of a) cliffhanger... Teehee.**

 **Anyway, we're past the midway point in the story, which means we're nearing the end (at least plotwise)! Also, I must warn you: In the next chapter, a crack-ish quality will be added.**

 **Please review~!**


	8. Chapter 8 - A Gossipy Secretkeeper

Chapter 8 – A Gossipy Secretkeeper

"So... To know me... You've asked me on a _date_?" Amaya asked teasingly as she leaned against the counter in the kitchen of the old dormitory.

" _Huh_? Who'd ask a demon like you on a date?" Rin responded coldly without disrupting his attention from cooking. The smell of cooked vegetables and meat lingered in the air.

"Words can hurt, you know~~" the demon woman sang in misery as she leaned over the counter, resting her head on her arms. "Please, do get to the point soon... You're unusual mysteriousness creeps me out." This was a side of her she had not yet shown Rin, which of course took him slightly by surprise. It felt incredibly... _Human_.

"Fine, I need to wait for this to cook right now, anyway..." Rin said as he threw away a rag he was using to keep the counters clean, and turned to Amaya. The female immediately perked up and hopped into a sitting position on the counter.

"So~~ You want to get to know me, in human terms... Does that mean you want to know things about me~~ Or get to know how I act among humans and or other demons?" she asked straight forward, tilting her head.

"Wha? Ehh..." Rin didn't seem to have thought this through that specifically. "All of that... I guess... I mean, that's what getting to know a person means, right? To learn things about them, but also to learn to live alongside with them..." he thought out loud, scratching his head.

"Well then..." Amaya sighed. "This is going to be a problem, Rin dear. You see, I am an actress, as you would say. I know how to put on a show for a single person, make them think I am a certain way. But this request that you've made, this _demand_... It would require me not to act, but to speak truths. And since I've revealed some things about myself already, a convincing story, the kind of story that I usually tell, would be kind of stupid to try."

During this explanation, Rin had shown a slightly airheaded expression.

"...But then again, with you, such a story would probably work." She sighed apathetically and shrugged, clearly trying to tease Rin again.

"Gahh... Seriously..." Rin reacted by muttering angrily. "But just now, you did it, right? You already shared something honestly, that that is a sort of thing you do. And though I think it's sort of weird and manipulative, it was honest, right?"

To Amaya's surprise, Rin seemed to have a lot more wisdom than she had previously thought. She blinked a few times, staring at this young half demon with an unhinging expression. Too bad the image of wisdom was erupted when Rin picked his ear with one of his two pinky fingers.

"In a kitchen, seriously..." she muttered, slightly pissed. "Rin, if I didn't have the burning desire to train someone who has inherited the blue flames, I wouldn't put up with this sort of thing~ I hope you understand."

"What _is_ the big deal, anyway? I mean, I get that I have Satan's flames... But I'm getting tired of every single person fawning over that," Rin complained, ignoring what had been said to him earlier.

" _Of course_ it's a big deal~" Amaya sang surprisingly coolly. "Satan is the God of Gehenna, the most powerful being there. Though he has other children, _none of them_ have inherited the flames that can burn throught anything. Surely you must've realized that..."

 _This child is so hopeless,_ was the thought inside the demon's mind. _But the blue flame..._ Without awknowledging it, her cheeks had changed their color to a soft pink. She was reaching toward Rin's face with a lustful expression, cupping his cheek with her hand. _I can't help but be attracted to it._

"Dude, I've had enough of you pedo demons and big boobed women who _always_ paw me without permission!" Rin said as he slapped the hand away. This was remarkable simply because earlier he was almost unable to resist this female demon.

"By 'big boobed'... You must mean Kirigakure Shura..." Amaya half mumbled. The two large chested women she was aware that Rin knew were Shura and Shiemi, and the latter was unlikely to bother Rin with her presence. "Ah, anyway..."

"You know, I sometimes read manga when I'm bored, and there's this type of personality that I think fits you," Rin suddenly said.

"Wha..."

"I think you remind a _yandere,_ " Rin said boldly as he put more distance between them. "They're usually girls obsessed with a guy, just like you're obsessed with me."

"Woah, observant," she said sarcastically. "Please tell me, Rin, are you humanizing me on purpose? To make yourself feel better? Because I am, and always will be, a demon."

This sentence, said in such a serious tone, took Rin by surprise.

"Hu... Humanizing... That means..." he struggled with the term.

"...Ah... I forgot again, you're an idiot~" the girl chirped. "Listen. I'm willing to give you what you want. I'll let you win this round, Son of Satan," she grinned. Rin blinked several times in confusion. "I'll tell you whatever you require to know, so I'll be worthy of your company~"

"Wha! That wasn't so hard, right?" Rin replied happily, his wish granted. Whatever happened in between had mostly been forgotten by him already.

"Go ahead, ask anything," she urged, seating herself back onto the counter.

"Uuuh... What's your name?" Rin asked, starting with something simple.

"Anything except that."

"WHAT!" Rin exclaimed in anger. "You said _anything_! You liar!"

"I know I did. But I'm not going to tell you my name. Do you know why?" she asked, waiting a moment for a response. Since none came, she continued. "I don't want you looking it up and hearing things from anyone but me. That's all."

"That sounds a lot like you're going to lie about everything," Rin pointed out.

"Well, I am a demon," she responded quite lightly, shrugging even. Rin grit his teeth, deciding to find a way around the question, if it truly was the only one she wouldn't answer.

"What are you to Mephisto...Err... _Samael_?" Rin decided to use Mephisto's real name, since he was talking to a demon. He thought she might respond to it better. He also got it right this time around, which he mentally celebrated.

"Oh, uhh... Let's see..." she hummed. "An acquaintance?" She responded in a way that sounded more like a question.

"That was too much thought put into it to answer 'an acquaintance'!" Rin complained. Amaya shrugged.

"...An acquaintance, a servant, something like that~~" she continued, since Rin wasn't satisfied. "You must understand that it is not a human relationship. However, the first time I did actually meet him was in Assiah. I think it was only around two hundred years ago... Maybe less, maybe more."

"Okay... Why did you meet him, then?" Rin asked a follow-up question.

"Well, that is..." A smile crept on her red lips as she responded. "Because of mutual interest. He needed help, and I was curious about him even then. So I did what I could in order to learn about some of his secrets. Of course, as poweful as he is, he didn't need to tell me anything~ But he did. I never did figure him out, exactly."

"Seriously... You keep leaving me with more questions instead of answers..." Rin whined, much more pathetic than earlier.

"You just asked a difficult question," she sighed. "What I helped him with, was something so huge that it was better to do with multiple demons," she explained. "Something that would've taken a lot longer if done by humans... Though it was some time after our first meeting... Ah. I helped him build this academy~"

"Whaaa?" Rin was taken aback by this revelation. "Like... You build this place by hand, or what?"

"Not by hand, you dumb child~ It's not like I've revealed all of my tricks to you, and it's not like it's my intention either. Ah, please ask something else~~ There's nothing more you could possibly need to know about this subject."

"...Is that what Mephisto is paying you with now? Information, like he did back then?"

This question was also one she wasn't prepared to answer. Rin was hitting multiple nails on the coffin of her lost secrets.

"Yeah, I guess... Though so far he has only told me unimportant things. He wants me to train you, and I want to train you, so I haven't pressed the issue. Please ask something else."

"Uhh... I just, I keep wondering... Are you a curious person? I don't think a lot of people would accept information as payment, you know? Besides, you seem like a curious person, even though you don't ask questions. It's more like, you just already know, because you have some way of knowing, you know?" Rin rambled. After the initial shock, she let out a frustrated huff.

"I wonder if this is why he keeps his distance... _Whatever,_ " she sighed. "Fine, you have figured me out~~ I am a curious person, I always have been." As she said this, she hopped off the counter and circled around the kitchen. "When I was a young demon, life was about survival~ But when my powers first started growing, like yours still are, I figured that I needed something else to waste time on than the survival I was all too familiar with. So, I just became curious. It's as simple as that~ I started trading my services for information, and now I stand here, with all of my secrets as a weapon sharper than most arrows~~"

Though originally she was very secretive, now she was truly answering any and all questions Rin had. Because of this very important characteristic, _her curiosity_ , she was ready to even tell her life story (though vaguely) to learn more about someone like Rin.

"Woah." Being the airhead that he was, Rin only let out this sound before glancing at his cookings. "The meat is burning!"

Truthfully, this was Rin's way of buying time. After everything he had learnt, he needed some time to process it. He wasn't sure if it was a good decision to talk to this person, and he wasn't sure if she felt less or more suspicious after knowing more about her.

.

.

.

Shima was on his way to a classroom, just outside the main school building. Lunch break had just ended, and he was heading to a class he was taking separate from everyone else.

Since he was walking alone, it was the perfect time to take him by surprise. However, it wasn't too easy to outwit a spy.

Suddenly he came into a stop, forcing some of the other students walking into the same direction to look up and circle around him. He stood still for a moment before turning around with a lazy smile on his lips.

"Hey, Okumura-sensei," he greeted the tall boy who was standing only a few meters behind him. The latter adjusted his glasses before stepping a bit closer.

"Shima-san, I must apologize for what happened yesterday." Yukio didn't waste time on greeting the other teen, but simply bowed his head humbly. "I have been slightly more stressed lately, and I let it show in an inappropriate moment. I am truly sorry."

"...Ah." Shima wasn't prepared for that kind of behaviour. "Geez, no need to be like that... I get it, I get it! It's not like I don't see the problem."

Yukio lifted his head, meeting eyes with Shima. He wasn't sure what to expect next. He had been afraid that Shima might say something to the other teachers, but luckily that didn't seem to be the case.

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Yukio approached the subject warily. Shima let out a sigh.

"Well, that Amaya-chan... I know that she isn't very trustworthy. Actually, I've been thinking that she's been probably planted here by the headmaster," he revealed quite casually. "I mean, it's sorta obvious. Eeh, it's really too bad~ She's so pretty, too~"

The teacher of Shima's cram class had suspected that the boy knew something, and was slightly annoyed that he would reveal it only now.

"Have you spoken to Sir Pheles about it?" he asked in an urgent manner, even taking a step closer.

"It's not like he would just reveal everything like that," Shima shrugged. "Besides, what would you even do if that was the case? I think all we can do is wait."

Yukio knew that he was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. He needed some way to prepare for it, but he could think of none, for his mind was so blurry.

The blurriness continued throughout the day. Many different thoughts had caught his attention, all at once, and it was difficult to focus.

In the evening, he had once again left without telling where he was going. He still wanted to know about the power in his eye, the power that had manifested under danger. And once again, he was trying to make it appear.

Fighting so many demons in another abandoned building, the creaks of wood and cries of demons accompanied by the sounds of his guns. He was a professional, so this was barely a challenge. He knew he needed something more, but really, partially he was just trying to vent by doing this.

He had been thinking about calling Shura for help, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. When it came to his brother, he wanted to be the one to protect him, the one to solve the riddles that they faced.

He wanted to be _stronger_ , just like Rin... But so far, nothing seemed to work.

.

.

.

"But, Izumo-chan~~~" an overly sweet tone echoed in the classroom. "I wanted _you_ to accompany me to karaoke~" Shima whined in a very unhappy tone.

"Agh, geez! Ask one of your female friends. I told you already, _I'm not interested_!" Izumo replied angrily as she packed her books. The cram class had just ended, and everyone was packing their things.

"Buuut..." he began, but was suddenly interrupted by an action from Konekomaru. "AUGHH!"

"Come on, then..."

The short boy had grabbed Shima by the ear, and was now forcefully dragging him out of the room.

" _S-since when did you become so strong?!_ " Shima's cries could be heard when the door to the corridor was still half open. Izumo let out an annoyed huff and watched as Rin and Amaya passed her.

 _Those two seem to get perfectly along now... That's strange,_ she thought in passing. She shrugged it off for now, since she needed to study and then go to the gym later. Whatever would happen would soon reveal itself anyway.

"Ah, geez, he's become even more clingy lately, hasn't he?" Bon's rough voice interrupted Izumo's thoughts just as she was about to leave. She stopped, waiting for the boy to catch up. Apparently he had been left behind when Konekomaru dragged Shima out.

"Yeah... He's an annoyance," Izumo confirmed, now the two teens walking side by side. A friendship had been forming between Izumo and her classmates ever since she was rescued from the Illuminati (after she stopped distancing herself), and she and Bon seemed to get along quite well now. "I've told him 'no' so many times the meaning of the word sometimes escapes me."

"He's always been like that with girls... But, eh, I guess that's apparent," Bon said in a regretful tone.

"Hmmm..." Izumo let out a displeased hum. "I wish there was a way to get rid off his guts. I'm so tired off denying him. Seriously, that annoying little..." her ramble turned into incomprehensible, angry mutters.

"Well, you could just date someone else," Bon shrugged, saying an idea he came up with from seemingly thin air. Izumo's face instantly turned scarlet.

"Wha... WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? I can't just _date someone else_! Why do you think such a thing would even work?!" she stuttered, flabbergasted. Bon instantly regretted what he had said.

"Oh, I just..." he rubbed his neck awkwardly. "It's just, he never bothers girls who have boyfriends. He respects that boundary, at least..." he quickly explained himself. Izumo blinked and averted her gaze to the floor.

"So then... It's not impossible..." she half-mumbled.

She had realized that, she did not completely hate Shima. However, the way he behaved, _especially_ around her, was infuriating. She didn't care for that sort of an attitude, not in any person. It was so carefree and disrespectful.

"Then... What if I..." she began.

Bon eyed the girl in curiosity.

"What if I _fake dated_ someone... Would that work?" she suggested. That took Bon by surprise, for he hadn't thought Izumo would take his idea seriously.

"Wha... For real?" he asked, stunned, as they exited the flashy corridor and entered the afternoon sunlight. Some of the red returned to her cheeks.

"I mean... Just for a little while, for him to get the hint. Just for show. It's not like I would seriously date someone for that sort of a reason...!" she replied a little unsurely. "It's a stupid idea, but... I've come to learn by watching everyone in that cram class... That sometimes stupid ideas work, too."

Bon was still stunned, even more so after this honest revelation. That sort of a thing was rare for Izumo.

"Ah..." he realized he had been quiet for a bit too long. "I mean, if that's what you decide is the way to go at it, I guess..." _Even though it technically was my idea..._

"The problem is," Izumo began, seemingly not bothered by Bon's reaction this time around, "I don't have a relationship like that with any boy..." She was deep in thought, staring at the ground her feet touched in turns.

Bon drew to a stop, and it took a moment for her to realize he had. She also stopped and turned around to face him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'll do it," Bon replied confidently, shrugging. Izumo froze, a drop of sweat on her temple.

"Wha... WHAT?!" she exclaimed. Bon covered one of his ears that had almost started ringing because of her loud yell.

"Geez... Calm down," he said agitatedly. "It's not a big deal, to pretend and date someone..."

"B-but..." Izumo couldn't get a proper word out of her mouth.

"You know, I want to put that guy in his place, too... Lately he's become so cocky. Ah, not to mention, if I do this... You'll owe me a favor," he explained himself calmly, then grinned – something he did rarely, but then again, this was an unusual situation. "I wouldn't mind someone owing me a favor, you know."

Izumo tried to get over the shock, and once she did, her words came out as stutters at first.

"F-fine then... Let's do it!" she exclaimed with her face red.

And so an unusual agreement was made, both parties unsure of what the outcome of this would be.

* * *

 **Needless to say, I ship Bon and Izumo. However, I will not stray from canon, at least in this fic. Obviously, since the ships were mentioned at the beginning of the story...**

 **Rin is still so very difficult to write. I tried my best anyway. Also, the beginning part with him and Amaya wasn't meant to be quite that long, but she decided to hog more "paper" than I thought she would.**

 **Please drop a review, I'd really appreciate it!**


	9. Chapter 9 - A Twist of Fate

Chapter 9 – A Twist of Fate

The bus ride had become very uncomfortable.

The roads they had been travelling had at first been smooth and otherwise well kept, and the weather wasn't especially hot. It had been quite comfortable.

When they had left the train that the class had taken out of True Cross, sure, the conditions had become a bit more annoying, but they didn't exactly realize how bad it could get. Not only did the bus suddenly take roads that were anything but straight, but the heat had gone up during the day way too much to bear.

"Shouldn't the weather be getting cooler by now?" Izumo whined as she fanned herself with her hand. Her voice was partially swallowed by the rumbling of the engine and tires of the aging bus.

"Hmm, it should," Shiemi, who occupied the seat next to Izumo's, said. "I don't know why it has gotten so hot all of a sudden." She was of no particular help in the matter.

"I'm more annoyed about this piece of crap bus. Couldn't the miser have gotten us a better one? This one doesn't even have air conditioning!" Rin said as he took off his jacket and tied it on his hips. Yukio, who was sitting in front of him, was quick to cut in.

"It's not as if we need air conditioning. This bus will serve our needs just fine."

"Aren't you hot in that black coat of yours? It must suck up a lot of heat..." Rin replied, pretty much ignoring the statement his twin had made. Yukio sighed, but he had to admit to himself that he was indeed feeling pretty hot. As he thought this, he unzipped his coat absent mindedly.

Unlike Yukio and the other teacher accompanying them on the bus, the students of the exorcism cram class were all in their casual wear. It was a Saturday, and there were no lessons, so they had no need to wear their uniforms. The class had gathered on this uncomfortable trip in order to go on a training mission together, but the teachers had not yet told them, where to.

"You alright there, Konekomaru?" Bon asked as he leaned back on his window seat, glancing out the window as he did. His friend, whom he sat next to, was white in the face, and otherwise quite sickly looking.

"Ah... I'm fine..." he said as he adjusted his glasses, leaning one arm against the back of the seat in front of him. The heat of the bus was causing him slight motion sickness, even though he didn't usually get it.

"You look a little pale as well, Shiemi..." Izumo commented in a deadpan tone, though her eyes showed a little bit of reluctant worry.

"Oh, no, I'm fine!" Shiemi immediately assured. "I'm just not that used to being in cars..." she continued a bit shyly. Izumo noted that, it was true that most of the time Shiemi walked everywhere. "Sorry to trouble you," was what she added a short moment later, causing Izumo to show a troubled expression for half a second.

"It's not like I would've said anything if it'd trouble me..." she muttered unclearly as she looked away from her friend. Shiemi didn't quite catch what she said, and would've asked her to repeat it if it'd seemed more like something intended for sharing.

Though most of the people in the bus seemed to be having light conversations throughout the journey, there were two people that sat in silence.

For an unknown reason, as soon as Ayame had picked her seat at the back of the bus, another person had sat right next to her. That person was the second year "puppet master" Takara.

Though Amaya most of the time showed nothing but a carefree smile, when that difficult to read person had seat next to her, a visible expression of shock had been drawn on her features – though only for a moment. She never once tried to talk to him, only folded her arms and stared out the window throughout the whole journey.

It was unknown whether she noticed it or not, but Takara was staring at her often during the trip. Not many people paid attention to them, they had almost forgotten that the strange girl was part of their class... It felt like the old times to them. Two people had noticed, though.

Rin was the first one, having expected Amaya to ask him to sit next to her, like in the train they took earlier. When that didn't happen, he knew something was wrong. When he noticed that Takara had sat there instead, he thought about it for a second, but was quickly distracted.

The other person that noticed the strange occurrence was Konekomaru. He had been studying the pair, and their dead, unflinching expressions more than half of the journey. He sensed that something was wrong, but didn't know what to think about it. Luckily, his motion sickness distracted him from it anyway.

Usually Yukio and Shima would've noticed something like that as well, but it seemed like they were distracted by other thoughts today.

* * *

The bus jerked as it came to a harsh stop, causing the ones getting motion sickness to whine quietly. Yukio was the first to stand up, turning to the class and speaking with an informative voice.

"Alright, only take with you what is necessary to the mission. We will be using this bus on the trip back as well, so there's no need to worry about your belongings," he said, turning to the bus driver with a smile. "Thank you for driving us," he now said in a softer voice, the class dismissed for the moment.

"No problem," the middle aged man driving the bus said and leaned back in his chair. It was clear just from his lack of uniform that he was not one of the exorcists, just a man paid to drive them around. He probably couldn't wait to get out and have a well earned smoke.

"Finally out of that hellhole," Izumo exclaimed in relief as she stepped out and walked away from the bus. The others followed after her, all glad to be out of the space that could be described as an oven.

"Anyway... Since this place is in the middle of the forest, it was kind of hard to see past this wall, but... I wonder what's behind it?" Bon asked as he looked out the bus window, being one of the last ones inside.

"It looks old, like..." Konekomaru began, still feeling a bit sick. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked out the window, suddenly pushing through the other students to get outside. This was very uncharacteristic of him, so naturally they were stunned.

"Wha?!" Bon showed his confusion with this sound, then followed Konekomaru. "What's the big i..." He froze when he got out, staring up at the building below the light stone wall they saw. "...dea," he finished, a drop of sweat beaming down his face. "A... A castle?!"

Indeed, the students were all gathered in awe, staring up at the old Japanese castle with their mouths wide open. Faints sounds of a city nearby could be heard now that they were out of the bus. The silence was broken only when the teachers stepped out of the bus.

"Yes, this is the _Osaka Castle_. It was built during the sixteenth century, and is a popular tourist attraction," the other teacher present, Kaoru Tsubaki, explained.

"Osaka...? If my memory serves me right, it was an important military armory during World War II... That's one of the most _recent_ things I remember happening to it, anyway," Bon quickly commented, still in awe of the place.

"Very good, Suguro-kun," Tsubaki said, nodding. "Today, we have received a special permission to be here," he explained, starting to lead the group around the wall.

Amaya, who was still quiet, was absent-minded while following the rest of the group. Since she wasn't paying attention, she drew to a sudden stop when she realized the group was now standing still instead of walking.

"But, uh, if the place is a tourist attraction, why are there no people around?" Rin asked in confusion, looking around for clues.

"That is a very good question, Okumura-kun," Yukio replied with his usual subdued smile. "Class, I advise you to look upwards," he said, pointing to the nearest visible windows of the main building.

"Upwards...?" Izumo asked out loud, directing her gaze to the pointed direction.

"Ah!" Shiemi explained as she noticed. "Coal tar!"

They hadn't noticed it, since they were used to the city having a lot of them, but the amount of coal tar had dramatically increased when they arrived to the castle. Especially since the walls of the castle, over the grey rock foundations, where white, is was very noticable how many of them floated out of the windows. If you didn't account for the possessed dust particles, the view of the castle buildings was quite stunning.

"Yes, a lot of them are here. Actually, the castle has been infested by multiple low- and medium leveled demons," Yukio explained. "Tourist attractions, being places where many people gather, often have many demons, but this castle in particular has attracted a lot of them as of late. A lot of complaints have been made of people receiving unwanted mashous here, and otherwise being bothered by demons. That is why your mission today, is to exorcise the demons that live here."

"W-what?" Izumo immediately protested. "But if there are so many in this huge castle..."

"It sounds tiresome," Shima added in a pathetic tone and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wouldn't a job like this demand more than ten people?" Konekomaru added to Izumo's statement.

"Actually, you will find that this amount of people should be perfect, even if you are still training exorcists... Though it will be a lot of work. But you will be receiving a lot of needed experience here, so you should work hard," Tsubaki responded, stepping to the main doors of the castle.

"Since everything else should be taken care of... There are no other people here today, but us. As you should know, an exorcist should never work alone, so we have divided you into pairs," Yukio said, taking out a folded piece of paper out of his coat pocket. "Let's see... Kamiki-san and Suguro-kun, you will be the first pair. Then, Shima-kun and Konekomaru-kun. Shimizu-san and Takara-kun..."

"Ah, actually," Rin said, interrupting. "Could I be paired with Amaya?"

A reaction of shock ran through the crowd as everyone's eyes were suddenly glued to Rin.

"H-huh?!" Izumo exclaimed in surprise. Shiemi blinked before directing her eyes to the ground.

"I would also rather be paired with Takara-kun," she said, only increasing the surprised reactions among the others, also gaining Rin's attention.

 _Ah..._ Rin was trying to read her expression.

Yukio glanced at Tsubaki, receiving a considered nod. Then he turned back to the students.

"I suppose that's an acceptable change... Then the two last pairs will be, Shimizu-san and Okumura-kun, and Takara-kun and Moriyama-san," he told, unfazed on the outside. "Now that we're ready, you may begin the mission. We will meet here at eight pm, unless something unexpected happens. And please remember, you will be graded on your performance."

As soon as Yukio had said that, he turned to face Tsubaki, who was standing at the main doors. They shared a look, and then the older teacher opened the wooden doors to the castle with a key.

Right after they had been opened, a hobgoblin jumped out of the castle, and Yukio shot it straight in the face before it could even properly make it outside. It evaporated, and the teen put away his gun, stepping aside and letting the students enter.

"A...Alright, let's do it then!" Shiemi said determinedly, glancing at Takara, who was calmly walking toward the building. Shiemi stumbled on her feet, following him inside.

Bon and Izumo shared a serious look, both nodding before entering after the first pair. After that the others pairs entered as well, Rin and Amaya being at the tail of the group. As they passed the teachers, Rin looked at Yukio in a way the younger twin could not read – his eyes showing determination, but his face otherwise being expressionless. Then he grinned widely, and gave an expressive thumbs up.

* * *

"I thought hobgoblins don't like places where there are a lot of people," Izumo said, her eyes trailing on the walls. In her right hand were two pieces of paper with summoning circles drawn onto them.

"That's usually true, but they've probably found a nice dark spot somewhere where tourists aren't allowed to enter," Bon replied, his eyes intently in the way forward. Soon he furrowed his eyebrows, pointing toward a door at the end of the hallway. "Over there."

It was at the very back of the castle, and they had had to pass multiple markings that told the area to be off limits from guests. In this area, there were clearly some renovations needed, especially with the creaking floor boards.

"Shall we set the bait here?" Izumo asked, squinting her eyes in order to see in the dark hallway. "You did make it, right?"

"Of course I did," Bon quickly retorted, showing his classmate the container which had a pink substance inside. "I'll put it down now, so be ready. You need to protect me while I'm chanting."

"I know that," Izumo snapped. At this point in their term, they were close to being graduated exorcists. And especially after facing the troubles with the Illuminati, their skills had increased a lot.

As Bon was about to open the lid of the container, which was now placed on the floor, Izumo suddenly said something else.

"Do you think he'll leave me alone now?" was what she said, causing Bon to stop what he was doing. After quickly glancing at the rare troubled expression that Izumo showed, he turned his eyes back on the container.

"Yeah, I'm sure he will. We were pretty convincing when we told him that we're dating. And he did show an unhappy expression," he said quite casually.

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

Since Izumo's and Bon's agreement, they had been dropping hints to Shima that Izumo was not available for him to date. And the day before, they had announced to the boy that they were dating, but were keeping it a secret – this was of course a way to avoid a scene with their lie.

However, for some reason, Izumo was still bothered by something.

"Pretty unhappy... Yeah..." she mumbled, averting her eyes from Bon's back. She recalled the expression that Shima had showed, less than a second of unhappiness, and then a smile that she could not read. The reaction, for some reason, was leaving her uncertain of what they had done.

"Anyway, we should be focusing on the mission," Bon reminded. "Summon your familiars."

"Right," Izumo quickly agreed, nodding. That _spy_ could wait. She quickly took a needle folded in a piece of fabric from the pocket of her pink jacket, and poked a hole on the very tips of two of her fingers. She dropped a few drops of blood on the summoning circles, then quickly shoved the needle back into her pocket.

"Here goes," Bon said as he opened the lid to the container, a smell of rotten blood immediately filling the room. He stood up quickly, and ran to the door they stood in front of, sliding it open. " _Now_!"

" _I ask the grace of Inari, the God of Harvest, to fulfill my prayers_!" When she said that, the two white fox demons – _Miketsu_ and _Ukemochi_ – appeared. As she did that, the rumbling of something getting closer could be heard coming from the room. "Mike, Uke, get ready!"

A large herd of hobgoblins rummaged into the hallway, following the so-called "sweet" scent of milk and rotten blood.

* * *

A floor upwards from Bon and Izumo, a pair of emerald green eyes shot to the floor as it started to rumble.

"E-eh?!" Shiemi let out a sound as she noticed that someone was busy downstairs. _That must be Suguro-kun and Izumo-chan..._ she thought. Being distracted from her current situation, she almost didn't notice the cat ghoul that suddenly barged toward her. "Kya!" she exclaimed, but the ghoul evaporared before it could touch her.

Takara was staring at her with his judgeful eyes and spoke through his puppet:

" _You brats are always getting yourselves in trouble_!" Between them stood a human sized toy robot, that had apparently slain the ghoul. Shiemi let out a breath of relief.

"Thank you, Takara-kun," she said with a smile, not really bothered by the boy's insulting tone. A small greenman popped out of Shiemi's blonde locks of hair and climbed on top of her head. "Ah, Nii-chan. You'll be a big help today, so let's work hard, okay?"

Takara only stared at the girl in front of him, before turning his back to Shiemi and continuing his stroll. As Shiemi was about to frantically run after him, another two pairs of footsteps got closer and eventually a panting figure of Shima stood before them.

"Guys... _Guys_ , there are bug demons in the third floor! _Bugs_!" he cried with his face a shade of blue. "Let's switch, _pleasepleaseplease_!" As that was being said, Konekomaru also reached the room, panting like Shima had.

"You, who has the access to Yamantaka's black flames, has no right to complain about bugs!" the short boy exclaimed.

" _Why don't you incompetent brats just take care of your own damn area_!" Takara retorted uncaringly. Shiemi could only stare at the scene a little troubled.

"C...Come on now, Takara-kun, it's not such trouble to switch, right?" she said softly, trying to solve the situation as peacefully as possible.

"If the third floor has bugs, than the other floors have those as well!" Konekomaru exclaimed, Shiemi's comment going completely ignored.

"N-no way!"

Shiemi's lips drew into a straight line as she studied the scene that was currently happening. The more they argued, the more she noticed herself getting distracted.

 _I wonder where Rin is right now..._ was one of her invading thoughts. When she noticed that her cheeks were slightly heating up, she quickly slapped both of them and focused on the matter at hand.

"Guys, there are still demons around!" she reminded in a slightly more demanding tone.

* * *

"HyyaaAAH!" Rin exlaimed as he penetrated the large flower with his sword. The demon possessing the plant cried as it disappeared. "There, one more down!" he declared happily as he put away the sword with a carefree twirl.

Since the inside of the castle was already taken care of by the others, he and Amaya had agreed to slay the demons in the courtyard. The space was large and difficult to handle, but because of Rin's power there should be no issue.

"Well done~~" Amaya hummed with a smile. As a coal tar floated close to her, she tugged its tail quite playfully and the creature let out an almost soundless cry and floated away. Rin frowned as he laid his eyes upon the girl.

"You haven't been helping at all while I've been doing all the work," he said bluntly, pointing at the girl who had not lifted a finger. "Your grade is going to suck!" Amaya let out a sigh.

"You're doing just fine on your own, aren't you?" she pointed out. "Besides, I'm here to observe your fighting style, not to help you exorcise these demons. Forget about the fact that I'm a part of your class."

"You told me that you're going to _teach_ me, though! Not _observe_ me, or whatever," Rin whined, walking alongside the wall of the castle. "So far, you've taught me _nothing_."

"I guess I haven't, have I?" Amaya smirked. "Forgive me for being such a scatterbrain~" she sang playfully, and not believably at all. "Anyway, I have to admit that you have good control of your flame."

"Y... You really think so?!" Rin suddenly exclaimed in expectant happiness. "I've been working really hard, so..."

"You have good control of it for a demon of your age... Anyway, it's rare that a poweful demon's powers limit themselves to something as simple as going on the offensive. A smart demon knows how to use whatever is at their grasp on other things as well."

Rin frowned again.

"But it's fire... What do you expect me to do with fire?" he pouted as he said this. "Besides, isn't being able to fight enough?"

"It's not just fire, Rin. What you call fire, is actually energy," Amaya explained, shrugging. "If you would read a little, you would know that fire isn't an element like earth, or water, or rot, for example."

"Huh?" Rin let out an airheaded sound. Amaya, who had been getting closer to him without him noticing it, suddenly grabbed his arm and brought him into a forced stop.

"Rin, as your first lesson, I want you to create a completely new kind of fire."

"... _Huh_?!" Rin's reaction of confusion was to be expected. Not only did the girl say something that didn't make sense at all, but it also sounded like it was way too difficult for someone at Rin's level to do. "How do you expect me to—"

Then, something even more unexpected happened. A loud sound of a gun was heard, and at the moment it was, a large stain of blood spilled against the wall on Rin's right.

"...What..."

"Crap."

There was a wound on the arm that was holding Rin's own, a wound on _Amaya's_ right arm. A bullet wound. The bullet had gone straight through the flesh of her arm and embedded into the wall, taking a lot of blood with it. Now she was bleeding onto the grass, staining it red as well.

She showed an annoyed expression as she followed the line which the bullet had followed to the one who had fired it. Yukio.

"Y- _Yukio_? Why would you do that?!" Rin shouted in shock as Amaya's grasp on him loosened. Yukio was standing about thirty meters away from them, an intense, _murderous_ look in his eyes.

"Step away from Rin," he said, _demanded_ in a cold tone, the gun still pointed straight toward the demoness. "I heard everything. Now step away."

"Ah... My cover is blown..." the demon said. The wound on her arm made a hissing sound as it started to heal, at a pace even greater than Rin's healing ability.

Yukio was furious, absolutely furious. He had come out of the building to see how Rin was doing, and accidentally heard Amaya speaking to him. When he did, he just knew that all of his suspicions were right, that this demon had been planted there by Mephisto. The barrel wasn't only spilling, it was tipped over, and his anger emitted the deadliest aura Rin had ever seen. The older twin couldn't get a word out of his mouth.

"Rin, Okumura-sensei, could you come help... Up...stairs?" Yukio was quickly distracted when he heard the familiar voice of Shiemi behind him. He turned around, speechless at her sudden appearance.

"Shiemi...!" Rin exclaimed her name as he realized.

"What's going on...?" she asked in similar shock, quickly noticing the wound on Amaya's arm. " _Yuki-chan_?! Ah..." and her expression of shock grew as she realized that the wound was healing at a great pace. "She's a..."

"A demon," Yukio confirmed, turning back to said person and pointing his gun at her again. "Rin, how stupid have you been!" be exclaimed in anger and disappointment. "To affiliate yourself with her! What's wrong with you?!"

Rin gritted his teeth.

"I _knew_ this is how you would react! You should trust me a little more...!" Rin began, but was quickly cut off.

" _No_ , Rin, this time you've gone too far! It'd been different if you had been oblivious, but you _knew_ , and you put all of us in danger!"

"Rin, how could you...?" asked Shiemi, tears in the corners of her glazed eyes. The shock took over her, and she felt the same feelings of betrayal as she had felt once before.

The first time she found out Rin was a demon.

* * *

 **I'm the kind of person who does as little research as possible, but I hope that this chapter isn't completely awful. XD It was very difficult to write! Anyway, we're nearing the end. Any thoughts? Tell them in a review. :3**


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